Do you dream of a pet that does not require daily walks, is quiet, and is extremely interesting? Then the spotted leopard eublephar, or simply the leopard gecko, may be the perfect choice for you.
These amazing lizards win hearts not only with their striking appearance, but also with their docile nature. Unlike many other reptiles, eublephars quickly get used to humans and can even recognize their owner.
Keeping them is not as difficult as it seems at first glance. They do not need a huge terrarium or complex equipment. The main thing is to create the right conditions: a comfortable temperature, a dry corner, and a humid chamber for molting.
If you are seriously interested in these creatures, sooner or later you may think about breeding them. This is an exciting and responsible process that allows you to take a fresh look at the life of your pets. Let's figure out where to start on this exciting journey.
Determining the sex of a gecko
This is the first thing you need to do before mating. After all, if you put two males or two females together, you will, at the very least, simply not get any offspring. And in an unfavorable situation, same-sex animals can cause each other significant harm (especially males).
To perform a “gender diagnosis,” examine the area around the cloaca. Males have preanal pores above it (towards the belly) — a series of small depressions that stretch from one hind leg to the other. And below the cloaca (closer to the tail), you can find two symmetrical bulges — “bells.”
Females also have preanal pores, but they are less pronounced and practically invisible.
If you have decided to breed eublephars for the first time, the easiest way is to compare the areas around the cloaca of two geckos that you have identified as opposite sexes. If they are indeed male and female, the differences between them will be obvious. If they are same-sex animals, there will be virtually no differences.
Mandatory conditions for mating
Mating of eublephars must meet certain conditions:
- Animal readiness. Males reach sexual maturity at 6-8 months of age, and females after one year. However, for females, body weight is more important than age. Until she reaches 45 g or more, she should not be allowed to breed, as the consequences may affect not only her health or the quality of her offspring, but also be fatal to the animal.
- Genetic compatibility. Of course, you cannot examine the DNA profile of your geckos at home, but you can use a morph calculator. This will allow you to calculate the possible coloration of the offspring in advance and avoid health problems if the morphs of the male and female predispose them to this. Animals with the “enigma” gene should be bred with particular care.
- Preliminary wintering. This condition is not mandatory, but desirable. Such a cycle of “hibernation-mating” is natural for eublephars in nature. After hibernation, the male will show more pronounced sexual activity, and the female will more willingly accept the courtship of her “suitor.” Of course, wintering must be carried out according to all the rules so that it triggers the start of the eublepharid breeding cycle rather than interrupting it.
Breeding eublephar geckos at home is quite feasible, even for beginners. These small reptiles are calm, unpretentious, and do not require a lot of time and money. The main thing is to provide them with the right terrarium with the necessary temperature, humidity, and shelters, feed them live food, such as moths or small crickets, and not disturb them at night, as they are active in the evening and at night. With moderate care and attention to basic conditions, geckos live long, feel good, and can even reproduce without much difficulty.
How pregnancy proceeds
The first thing you will want to know is whether the mating was successful and whether you should prepare for the arrival of offspring. Nothing special will happen in the first few days. But then, if you look at the female's belly, you can clearly see the maturing eggs. They are located almost symmetrically on both sides of the midline of the belly and look like opaque white spots.
It is very important to provide the female with a complete diet, as “growing” and carrying eggs requires a lot of resources from her. Food items should be coated with vitamin and mineral supplements, and access to calcium supplements can be provided around the clock. It is also necessary to protect the female from stress, not to move her to another terrarium without special need, and, in general, to provide her with peace and quiet.
Incubation can last up to 1.5 months, but by the second week after mating, you should have everything ready for laying, as it can occur in two weeks.
The main signs that egg laying is approaching are:
- Against the backdrop of general well-being, the female's appetite has decreased or disappeared completely.
- When examining the female's abdomen, it is clear that the eggs have descended.
- A few days before laying, the female usually digs the substrate in the humid chamber, preparing a nest for herself.
But there is no need to wait for the female to show her readiness to lay eggs — you need to prepare the incubator in the first few days after separating her from the male. By the time of laying, you will have checked it several times to make sure that it is set up correctly, maintains the correct temperature, is sufficiently humidified, and that the incubation of the eggs will not be accompanied by various “technical surprises.”
Organizing an incubator
When breeding eublephars at home, you can make your own incubator. To organize it, you will need:
- A foam container (box) for food products (approximately 50 x 30 x 20 cm — horizontally oriented) with a lid.
- Several plastic containers for eggs (smaller than the box so that they fit easily inside).
- A thermostat with a temperature sensor to control the temperature inside the incubator.
- A heating mat — for example, a homemade one made from underfloor heating.
- Substrate, water.
Make ventilation holes in the upper part of the container, around the entire perimeter, and on the lid of the container. They are needed so that moisture does not stagnate in the incubator and evaporates slightly. This will eliminate excess moisture, which leads to mold growth and the subsequent death of the eggs.
Attach a heated floor to the bottom of the container. Run the wire through a hole in the bottom of the container, which you can easily make yourself. The specifics of connecting the thermostat to the heating floor depend on the model and manufacturer, so refer to the instructions for the device.
Before placing the eggs in the incubator, you must first set it up. To do this, take an empty plastic container (in which the eggs will later be placed) and put it in the incubator. We insert the temperature sensor from the controller directly into the soil (substrate) in this container and wait a few hours. Once the incubator has reached a more or less stable temperature, you can safely fill the containers with eggs.
Several of these small containers can be installed — one for each individual clutch.
Incubation of eggs
When the female's behavior shows signs of imminent egg laying, watch her more closely. As soon as her belly disappears and her appetite returns, check the humid chamber. Carefully transfer the eggs found there to the incubator, after making a small depression in the substrate for each egg. The eggs should be immersed in the substrate no more than halfway.
Before placing the eggs in the incubator, mark their top. This can be done by simply putting a dot with a marker. During incubation, the egg must always be placed with this dot facing up; this is very important. The embryos attach to the egg fairly quickly, and if the position of the egg is changed, the embryo may “drown” — suffocate.
During the first two weeks of incubation of Eublepharis eggs, the embryo acquires its sex. However, the formation of a female or male, as well as the duration of incubation, is closely related to temperature. Thus, at a temperature of 30-32°C, you will get males in 30-45 days. And by maintaining a temperature of 26-28°C in the incubator, you will get females after 55-70 days. And at average temperatures (for example, 28-30°C), there will be both males and females among the hatched eublephars.
If you want all your babies to hatch healthy and without defects, it is necessary to maintain a constant temperature in the incubator throughout the incubation period. Temperature fluctuations have a negative effect on the offspring, and sometimes due to such fluctuations, the babies may hatch with defects (for example, a crooked tail) or not hatch at all (the embryo will die in the egg). Therefore, throughout the incubation period, strictly monitor that the temperature in the incubator does not change.
Check the water level in the substrate regularly and add more if necessary.
You can tell that the young are ready to hatch by the following signs:
- Approximately 7-9 days before the hatchlings emerge, the eggs increase sharply and noticeably in size.
- The surface of the egg changes color—the white areas become slightly pinkish.
- A couple of days before the chick hatches, condensation appears on the surface of the egg. It looks as if the eggs are “sweating.”
As you can see, eublephars are ideal reptiles for those who are just starting to explore the world of terrarium keeping. Their unpretentiousness, calm temperament, and small size make them excellent companions even in a city apartment.
The main thing is to take a responsible approach. Prepare the terrarium in advance, set up the correct heating and lighting, and find a reliable seller. Your care and attention to detail will ensure a long and healthy life for your spotted pet.
In return, you will get not just an exotic animal, but a true friend with a unique character. Watching them live, feeding them from your hand, and simply seeing how comfortable they are in their little home is a special pleasure. Good luck in this exciting endeavor!
