Perpin

I am not a fan of brumation but you might like to give it a try. Here are some facts to consider - I have copied some info from some successful breeders in the USA.... Brumation can be very risky as it is common for reptiles to die at this time. I would not recommend brumation to anyone that owns animals for fun and is not looking to breed the geckos, or for those animals that are not completely 100% plump and healthy. I have found that animals that get put into brumation that are not very healthy generally do not live through this testing time and therefore it is not recommended. In nature these ‘weak’ individuals would not make it and the theory of only the strong survive would prevail and possible weaker genetics would be eliminated from the species gene pool. But in captivity we have the opportunity to avoid these harsh realities of nature by accommodating our animals with ideal environments. Much of the risk associated with brumation is due to lack of know-how and the attempt to cool a gecko incorrectly or to cool a gecko that is not in optimal condition. I would never recommend brumating a juvenile gecko or a first season potential breeder as this could be beneficial time that the juvenile could be using to eat, grow, and mature. A problem that can occur in brumation is when the reptile is not cooled at low enough temperatures to stop its metabolism. This results in weight loss and can sometimes be very drastic and happen quickly. There is also no factual info to be found that suggests brumation adds any more life onto your leo... Proper brumation temps would be in the mid 50's... Anything higher will just push them off feed... In order to properly brumate all of their functions must be slowed down... Temps in the 70's will make them stop feeding but their metabolism will burn off much more of their stored nutients at a fast rate... In the mid 50's their metabolic rates show down as well as their heart rates and breathing rates... Also to properly brumate, you need to reduce feeding and turn the temps down gradualy... Feeding should stop completely atleast a week before they are put down for brumation... So converting 50F to celcius works out to 12 degrees. What temps do you keep your leo's at?

I personally think that the possible cause is the lack of gene pool here in NZ. Holding thumbs that they breed successfully next season.

I highly doubt that he had them sterilised. How old were they when you got them?

It is possible but these females are normally very aggresive. Is she aggressive?

Yes that will be absolutely fine. Sometimes you will get a female that is "grumpy" and prefers being on their own but for the most part they dont mind living together.

Hi Caryl. They are born with bands. As the grow and shed the bands break up and they become spotted. Their colours can also change and intensify as they grow.

I would intro the male into the females cage so that she is in familiar territory. The males hormones should take over sooner or later so unfamiliar territory wont be as much of a problem for him. I would wait for it to be nice and warm, say late November early December but the best indicator is the pink spot on the tummy. I wouldn't turn the heaters off completely. I personally dont brumate my leos and have never had a problem with them. They do this in the wild to compensate for a lack of food and cooler temps. I see no reason to do this in captivity. I am sure I will be irritating soome people by saying this but I just dont see the logic in it. Just keep the males away from the females to give them some peace. Let them eat and stay a good weight in preparation for the breeding season. Turn the heat down a few degrees if you want to but dont switch the heat off altogether.

Perhaps he is trying but not getting it right. It is better to have the males and females seperate. My male will try and mate with the females even when it's not breeding season which is stressful for the females. Try seperating them and see if it helps next breeding season. Perhaps she needs a break from him and may be more receptive when she is ready. During breeding season look for a light pink circle in the middle of the tummy around the size of the eraser on a pencil. This means she is ovulating and hopefully will be happy to accept the males advances after being left in peace, lol! Many are successful keeping leo's in colonies (me included) but there are those that need their space. Hope it works for you.

Wow, that's hectic henward. I would have thought that if they were having infertility problems then they would just lay iinfertile egss but no eggs is strange.

Nice one Alan. looks like she is going to colour up nicely Love the orange on the back legs :thup:

Did you candle (shine a torch) on the eggs to see if they are fertile? If they are fertile they will glow pink and if infertile they will glow yellow. Sometimes you can tell immediately but sometimes it takes a few days. It sounds like they are infertile. Are you breeding from a pair that has had success at breeding before? When it comes to the vermiculite it best to add water to the point that when you place a handful in your hand and squeeze, just a little water water should squeeze out. If it is dripping heavily or running then it is too wet. The US breeders have found more success incubating their eggs completely off of the vermiculite/perlit. Check this link out: http://geckoforums.net/showthread.php?t=71613

She looks lovely and healthy! She is a hi yellow. Colours could intensify as she get older. How old is she? Looks to be about 3 or 4 months.

Its best to get a thermostat. That way you can turn the heat up or down easily.

Awesome! Post some pics when you get yours. They are wonderful creatures :thup:

Yes this is normal for leps. I have found that you can move the first poop to the place you would prefer they use and they often use that spot. I moved my ones loo to an ice cream dish with toilet paper inside. Worked like a dream....so easy to clean, just tip it out into the loo!

They would not be able to survive any better than the mealworm beetles. Infact they need warmth more than mealworms do.

How old is the leo? I have had one or two leo's in the past that battled a bit with shedding but it did improve with age. Is the leo going through a major growth spurt at the moment that could warrant the double shed? There should be a moist hide in with leo's at all times.

Most of the lizards we keep will willingly eat mice in the wild. Personally I dont think it's cruel. It's part of the food chain. It will come down to peoples personal opinions and emotions.

Fantastic! I am so glad she is ok

Absolutely!

Wow its taking a long time for her to lay her eggs. Is that normally how long it takes beardies?

Been offline a few days so did not see your thread. I really hope she makes it. Holding thumbs for you....and her.

Oh dear. I hope you find her.

Thanks for all the tips bdspider and Carlos & Siran. I will give them a try Hey Morcs - thanks for letting us know that it works for you. At least we have heard from someone who uses it. I would have to use it in an adjoining room so I think that it would be better not to take the chance.

I have one of those but it is not working for me. not sure what I am doing wrong but it has not caught one fly yet