Sid_Wolf Posted October 24, 2009 Report Share Posted October 24, 2009 i mentioned in another thread that i wanted to be a reptile breeder and have already successfully bred 1 of my females, Kimiko, to my male, Ecko. so thought i'd post this I had to wait until both geckos were around 50g and in good health before they could be bred (and that they were opposite sexes!!) this ment lots of feeding up and weighing lol. Kimiko was given pinky mice dipped in calcium suppliment about a week before so she gained a lot of weight and had plenty of calcium for egg production next step was to put them together, Ecko is kept in a seperate tank to avoid unwanted matings as i have 5 females (3 at the time) in the same tank, and i want to know who laid which eggs and some of the girls arent ready to be bred yet. once i put kimiko into his tank the fun started ecko saw her and could smell the female scent, and his tail started to vibrate fast he persude her for a few minutes before biting her on the lower back, then continuing to bite all the way up to her neck (vary scary to watch, is she felt threatened there was the chance she could have dropped her tail, a defence mechanism) she didnt seem bothered though and lifted his tail to allow him to mate her about 15 days later you can start to see the eggs being formed in the abdomen, they show as 1-2 milky masses under the skin. this is the scariest part, if i had not given enough calcium in her diet there was the strong chance she could have become 'eggbound' (the eggs do not seperate and it's impossible to pass them) which is fatal. but thankfully another 15 or so days later she laid 2 white eggs, unfortunately these weren't fertilised so sunk in the middle the female retains the sperm for the length of the mating season, so she can continue to produce eggs, so i carried on giving her extra calcium and lots of food, and about a month later we had 2 fertilised egg, which went straight into the incubator she did lay another 2 but again these were unsuccessful about 60 days later i checked the incubator and i could see the eggs had sunk, so i opened the lid and 2 baby geckos looked at me and hissed!!! :ran_biggrin::ran_biggrin::ran_biggrin: 4 weeks later they were taken to the reptile shop i used to volunteer for, where they spent 4 weeks being looked after by my boss before being ready for sale lol sorry for the long post, hope you enjoyed!! kimiko, the mummy ecko, the daddy the 2 babies Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah Posted October 24, 2009 Report Share Posted October 24, 2009 Awww WOW fab post!! Added to rep! Awww how cute are the babies - and mum and dad obviously! I'd love a reptile but don't have the room / knowledge or experience to take care of them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sid_Wolf Posted October 24, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 24, 2009 haha geckos are small, and can live on their own lol. and as for knowledge, lol just ask me!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah Posted October 24, 2009 Report Share Posted October 24, 2009 ohh dont tempt me - and ffs dont tell marc LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sid_Wolf Posted October 24, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 24, 2009 lol i'll save one next season especially for you sarah, free of charge for HO members Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah Posted October 24, 2009 Report Share Posted October 24, 2009 ok hit me with it - what equipment will i need - pics preferably and what do you feed them please dont say live mice :cry: and how much is it gonna cost from scratch to set something up got me interested now!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sid_Wolf Posted October 24, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 24, 2009 ok here goes.... tank - can cost anything from 15-100+, my 1st cost me 15 and would have been big enough for 1 gecko for life, but i upgraded Doesnt have to be a reptile vivarium, can be just your basic glass fish tank, but muct have a lid. will get a pic of my 1st one soon heat mat - geckos are cold blooded so need an outside heat source, the heat mat for a small tank is about 10, it goes under one side of the tank, to create a heat gradient http://www.thepetshopuk.co.uk/images/LuckyReptile_ThermoHeatMat.jpg water bowl - about 3-5 http://www.fishandfins.co.uk/images/pt2802.jpg hide - about 5-10, or you can use an upturned marg tub with a hole in it lol http://www.livefoods.co.uk/images/hideout%20new.jpg calcium suppliment - a dust that goes on the food to prevent bone disorders such as MBD (metabolic bone disease) http://www.pawsforthoughtpetcentres.co.uk/images/nutrobal.jpg crickets/locusts - food, sorry yes they are live lol but you can get tongs to feed them with lol thats the basics, you can get more stuff like fake plants, logs etc. shall i post the guide i'v written?? its got all the stuff about setting up, health problems, diet etc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah Posted October 24, 2009 Report Share Posted October 24, 2009 Fab - added to rep Are they night time or day time creatures - ie if it lived in our room is it gonna keep me up all night lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sid_Wolf Posted October 24, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 24, 2009 they are nocturnal but very quiet, they dont make noises (well the babies hiss at you sometimes but they grow out of that) i have 7 in my bedroom and dont hear a thing! i will find the guide i wrote and post it in a bit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah Posted October 24, 2009 Report Share Posted October 24, 2009 fantastic - thanks Sid chewing hubby's ear at moment trying to persuade him - he says yes but i gotta find somewhere to keep it and not till after xmas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sid_Wolf Posted October 24, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 24, 2009 i wont be breeding them until spring time anyway so babies will be ready to go to the new homes around septemer time next year, as i dont let babies leave until 8 weeks, feeding well and have shed at least once, except to the shop i worked for lol. if you didnt wanna wait this long and wanted to buy one instead i'd understand... lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sid_Wolf Posted October 25, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 25, 2009 here you go sarah, i'll post it in bits so its easier to read. Latin Name: Eublepharis Macularius Lifespan:15-20 years if cared for properly Diet: Life insects crickets, locusts, wax worms Active: Night time Basic Set-up Tank with a lid minimum 10 gallons for 1 gecko Heat mat should cover 1/3 to of the tank bottom 2 thermometers to check heat gradient Hide 1 per gecko Water bowl Substrate floor covering Small bowl of calcium Extras fake plants logs extra hides fake vines Setting up the tank Place the heat mat under one side of the tank, so it is flush with the edge. This will create a heat gradient within the tank, so the gecko can warm up and cool down as needed, geckos need to thermo-regulate in order to digest their food. Place one thermometer on the back of the tank so it sits over the heat mat, and place the other on the back of the tank at the other end, this will help you to watch the temperatures within the tank. The hot end should be about 84-88F at the hot end, and 74-78F at the cool end, dropping down to 74-78F and 64-68F at night (in the UK this happens naturally). Dont worry if the thermometers dont show these readings as the temperature will be slightly different on the tank floor, which is where its needed. Substrate is highly debated in the reptile world, some keepers prefer sand, while others refuse to use it. I recommend using a solid substrate that cant be accidently ingested, geckos lung for their food and can take in sand when hunting, too much sand can cause impaction a life threatening blockage in the intestines. I prefer to use kitchen roll. Place the water bowl at the cold end of the tank, so it doesnt increase the humidity of the tank. Place the hide in the middle of the tank Provide a milk bottle lid (or similar) filled with a calcium supplement such as Nutrobal, if the gecko feels it is not getting enough calcium in its diet it will lick at the calcium. Fake plants and logs create extra hiding places and climbing frames as well as making the tank eye catching. Hides are a must! If you fail to provide somewhere to hide the gecko will become stressed and possibly stop eating. Tank routine Every day: replace water Once a week: full tank clean out, kitchen roll removed and replaced, top up calcium bowl. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah Posted October 25, 2009 Report Share Posted October 25, 2009 will see how we get on in the new year and give you a shout Thanks for al the advice and baby offer :D:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sid_Wolf Posted October 25, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 25, 2009 lol no problem, am having to write out the care sheet again cuz i lost it lol but will keep updating this tread when i write each section lol. babies may be ready earlier, depends on when i breed, will let you know when they're next mated and then send you pics of the babies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah Posted October 25, 2009 Report Share Posted October 25, 2009 thanks hunni This thread is FAB!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sid_Wolf Posted October 25, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 25, 2009 lol glad you like it didnt think reptiles would be your thing sarah Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah Posted October 25, 2009 Report Share Posted October 25, 2009 Always fancied a snake but couldn't live feed - crickets i'd ok with but not mice etc *shudder* Haven't got the room for a snake but am quickly warming to the idea of a gecko now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sid_Wolf Posted October 25, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 25, 2009 lol you do knows it's illegal to feed live vertebrae to animals in the UK dont you?? all mice fed to snakes are dead and you buy them frozen lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah Posted October 25, 2009 Report Share Posted October 25, 2009 lol you do knows it's illegal to feed live vertebrae to animals in the UK dont you?? all mice fed to snakes are dead and you buy them frozen lol I do now Thank feck for that!! :ran_biggrin: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sid_Wolf Posted October 25, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 25, 2009 lol its un needed suffereing to the mouse and can harm the snake aswell if the mouse fights back or the snake isnt interested but the mouse is hungry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Val (Zebedee) Posted October 25, 2009 Report Share Posted October 25, 2009 Substrate is highly debated in the reptile world, some keepers prefer sand, while others refuse to use it. I recommend using a solid substrate that can’t be accidently ingested, geckos lung for their food and can take in sand when hunting, too much sand can cause impaction – a life threatening blockage in the intestines. I prefer to use kitchen roll. . I use bark for the snakes, but they get fed their rats on the log hides off the ground, but I use brown parcel paper for the floor of my beardies viv's, I don't like the idea of sand, it sticks to the fruit & veg we feed them & gets ingested ... brown paper looks just as good & puts my mind at rest, the same as kitchen roll ... BTW, excellent thread, Sid, very informative :biggthumpup: added to rep Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sid_Wolf Posted October 25, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 25, 2009 I use bark for the snakes, but they get fed their rats on the log hides off the ground, but I use brown parcel paper for the floor of my beardies viv's, I don't like the idea of sand, it sticks to the fruit & veg we feed them & gets ingested ... brown paper looks just as good & puts my mind at rest, the same as kitchen roll ... BTW, excellent thread, Sid, very informative :biggthumpup: added to rep our adult corn has orchid bark too, he was already on that when we bought him (he was ricks bday present lol) my beardie has nothing on the bottom of his tank as he hides under any paper and doesnt notice the UV so sleeps all day lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
utahraptr Posted October 26, 2009 Report Share Posted October 26, 2009 Are those leopard geckos? Kimiko is beautiful!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sid_Wolf Posted October 26, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 26, 2009 Are those leopard geckos? Kimiko is beautiful!!! I love the look of leos, and after MEr and Evie, they wouldn't be too hard to care for, but I'm not allowed anymore pets right now (2 lizards and 2 huskies is enough for now). . haha yea they are, kimiko was my 2nd one, my 1st one i bought from an awful shop and he was ill, nothing i could do for him :17: RIP Izzi.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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