Perpin

Thanks for that repto. Are Ivan's leo's unrelated to the ones available on the market?

How long ago was this original group broght in to NZ?

I personally only did it (in SA) to produce new morphs and I keep accurate records. I was fortunate enough to also have over 50 unrelated leo's to breed from as well. Unfortunately inbreeding/linebreeding here is NZ is impossible to avoid. As has been stated, not enough record keeping has been done to establish which are or are not related. It is my understanding that all leo's in NZ are related due to the lack of importation. I am I right? Please correct me if I am wrong.

Lol!

All leo's in NZ are related. It is fine to breed related leo's. Obviously new genes are always the better option but its not possible here. I have years of experience breeding leo's back in SA (including line breeding) and have never had a deformity. Obviously you would need to stop breeding a pair if you notice that they are producing deformed offspring.

Congratulations! Dont worry...the male will learn fast

Love the Basilisk!

They are gorgeous!

I have kept and bred leo's for many years. You seriously dont need to worry about a basking light. A heat mat is enough for day and night. You will love them!

Aaaah, he's gorgeous

What's L46 or is it top secret

Leo's need heating from below. It is vital for aiding in digestion. Heat mats do raise the temperature of the enclosure. The humid hide needs to be over the heat mat to create humidity to aid with shedding. Attaching a thermostat to the heat mat will enable you to control the temperature.

Hi my friend! So glad you joined. Welcome

Thanks everyone. My hubby made my one in SA which worked beautifully but was wondering what the favourite is here.

What incubator do you use? What's the best available in NZ?

Happy New Year! Its going to be a fabulous one

They are nocturnal. They live in semi arid desert like conditions. The day temps are very high so they hide away but this does not mean that heat is not important to them. The rocks are warmed by the sun and they do retain the heat for part of the evening. The leo's will lie on them to warm there bellies to aid digestion. If they do not have belly warmth they can stop eating. If you have heating from above and that warms a rock in your setup then that is fine too but this too must be regulated as the rock can become too hot. You will see them lying over the warmed up rock. It is vital to their health. My personal opinion is that a heat mat/pad is a far more simple way of achieving this as they do not need lighting. I hook my heating pads to a thermostat so the temp can be regulated. That way there is no chance of your leo getting burned. I have seen leo's burned from heat rocks and heating pads. The thing here is to figure out the safest way to provide them with the belly heat they need as they will seek it out.

Hey Veranophile. I agree that they can be prone to burns. To prevent burns it is best to put the heat pads under your tank and not in it and you can hook it up to a thermostat to make sure it does not get too hot. As you say...each to their own

Sorry but I disagree with Varanophile's statement about creamic heat emitters and heatiing pads. Leopard gecko's need heating from below(through the belly). This aids digestion and is very important. Leo's do not need heat emitters. Heatings pads are vital.

I would not keep hatchlings on calci sand either. Rather wait until they are older. You can keep them all together initially. Just watch that they are all eating enough and that none are being bullied. I would put the male in his own enclosure when they reach about 4 months of age.

Yeah I am a big fan of mealworms for leo's. They definately dont eat as much as beardies but do need to be fed everyday as hatchlings.

Have you read my Leopard Gecko Care Sheet? Here is the link viewtopic.php?f=40&t=42518 or just go back to the first page on Reptile and Amphibians, its somewhere near the bottom of the page.

Hi Charlie. First of all you cannot keep a male with females up until the age of 8 to 9 months unless you intend to let them breed at a very early age which is not a good idea. This will work only if you are an experienced leo keeper/breeder. Some females mature faster than others and will start producing eggs at a very early age which is not what you want. She can become eggboung and can die if she is too small to pass the eggs. Now on to the setup.: You do not need a heat fan. A heating mat will be sufficient. You want to be able to generate a certain amount of moisture in order for them to shed properly. A fan will dry everything out. I take it the night light you mentioned is one that does not generate heat? Make sure it does not as some people like to see there leo's at night and then forget the light on resulting in the tanks temps rising to dangerous levels. The last point being the most improtant. DO NOT USE SAND!! especially with hatchlings. The chances of hatchlings swallowing the sand is too high. This will cause impaction and can cause serious health issues as well as death. I know there are a lot of people out there who refute this but its not worth taking the chance. Google it and check it out for yourself. All the major breeders will tell you that it is a very bad idea. Rather use tiles or kitchen paper or even newspaper when they are little. I know its not beautiful but you dont want to risk impaction. You only need wait a few months and then you can convert to a more natural looking setup. I hope this has helped

There are a lot of factors that influence the amount of healthy eggs a female will lay per season. Lets say she was allowed to mature properly and had good nutrition there is no reason that you should not get an average of 16 eggs per female per season.

I would have to agree. Not being able to import is a very small negative. This country is awesome with countless positives. Coming from a place like SA I can say without a doubt that you all have it good