If you are a reptile enthusiast, then you will surely have considered breeding crested geckos at least once. But what makes it beneficial to breed crested geckos?
And how can you go about it? This article answers all important and frequently asked questions related to the breeding of crested geckos.
Reasons For Breeding Crested Geckos
You may want to breed crested geckos for any of the following reasons:
You want to have a small family of crested geckos in your house.
This is the most common reason why most crested gecko pet owners choose to breed their pet crested geckos – to sell and make some money.
Know that as long as you do it lawfully and keep the health of your crested geckos as your utmost priority, then there is absolutely nothing wrong with this either.
Proper Age For Breeding Crested Geckos
Usually, a male crested gecko becomes sexually mature at the age of 6 to 9 months, while a female crested gecko becomes sexually mature at the age of about a year.
It is important to know that while a male crested gecko will become ready to mate as soon as it attains sexual maturity, the case is not the same for female crested geckos.
A female crested gecko goes through a regular cycle of fertility and lays infertile eggs if she hasn’t mated with a male crested gecko.
Crested geckos are sexually active in warmer seasons
Crested Gecko Breeding Season?
The crested gecko breeding season starts in February or March and ends in the months of October and early November.
They tend to be most sexually active in the warmer seasons of Summer, Spring, and the early onset of Fall.
Crested Gecko Breeding Setup
The important thing as a breeder is to ensure that your crested geckos have the right kind of setup to breed. It includes:
A Nest Box
A nest box is where the crested geckos will lay their eggs after mating. While you will not immediately see fertile eggs after introducing a male and female crested gecko, it is still advisable to provide a nest box from the start.
An example of a nest box is a small container with 3 to 4 inches of substrate. The substrate can be a mix of coconut fiber, peat, and a pinch of clay.
It is best to think of crested geckos as year-round breeders. So, once the minimum age and weight requirements are met, a crested gecko can be allowed to breed without any excess preparation.
Just ensure that your crested geckos are healthy, strong, and have had a healthy lifestyle up until the moment of introduction.
How To Pair Your Crested Geckos
A pregnant crested gecko
Crested geckos reproduce naturally between March and September for 8 to 9 months. Before attempting to mate, a male and female must both be sexually mature.
Prior to reproducing, females must be at least 18 months old, weigh at least 35–40 grams, and have enough calcium reserves. During the breeding phase, it’s crucial to offer her calcium licks and powdered insects.
Even though your female will go into labor quickly, especially if this is your first time breeding cresties, it’s conceivable that you won’t notice.
How can you tell if a female is pregnant?
The female will begin to visit the terrarium’s warmer parts.
She could turn more private and retreat to her hiding spots.
An increase in hunger before the egg-laying season
It’s crucial to avoid handling a pregnant female since doing so puts her under a lot of stress. Don’t handle her during this time unless it is absolutely essential.
How To Incubate Crested Gecko Eggs
The eggs can be incubated in a number of different methods. You have the option of using a dedicated incubator or placing them in a container in a dim area like a closet.
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Both incubation techniques are effective, so if you’re on a tight budget, you shouldn’t feel compelled to purchase an incubator.
Using An Incubator
Incubating the crested gecko eggs is recommended
The advantage of an incubator is that it maintains the eggs’ temperature consistently. There are several incubators on the market that can raise reptile eggs.
Any one of those will do. You may test an incubator to verify if it maintains a constant temperature in order to ensure its quality.
You may even build your own incubator if you’re handy. A 10-gallon aquarium with a couple of inches of water is all you need.
To get the aquarium to the proper temperature, use an aquarium heater. After that, submerge a brick in the liquid, then set the container on the brick. To keep the heat and moisture inside, use a top.
Using An Incubation Box
You can construct your own incubation box if you don’t want to use an incubator. Use a plastic container or a shoebox and fill it two-thirds with a substrate to do this.
Vermiculite, perlite, Hatchrite, or Superhatch are all options.
Check to see that the substrate is damp but not sopping wet. Additionally, drill 5 to 8 1/8-inch ventilation holes in the lid.
Place the eggs in the substrate (approximately a quarter inch deep), cover the box, and put it somewhere cold and dark, such as in a cabinet or closet.
Crested Gecko Egg Care
The eggs should not be handled a lot and you should mostly just monitor them from afar.
If you observe any dents or cracks, then you may have to recheck the temperature and other environmental parameters of the incubator.
However, for the most part, you simply need to ensure observational care and minimum handling of eggs.
How To Properly Take Care Of Hatchlings
The hatchlings will pierce a hole in the eggshell and peep out once they are completely mature. Pipping is the name of this activity, which is as cute as it sounds.
Some hatchlings may not fully emerge immediately away in order to thoroughly receive the nourishing yolk.
Wait until they have swallowed all the yolk and have emerged on their own before removing them from the eggs.
Hatchlings and juvenile crested geckos, often known as baby geckos, need particular facilities and high humidity levels to shed their skin.
To develop and become healthy adults, they will require a nutritious diet. The maintenance of baby crested geckos is simple, but you should handle them with extra caution.
A female gecko will often not produce eggs for the following reasons:
Inadequate lay area
Colder weather
Emaciation
Obesity
Adulterous behavior
Aging reproductively
Inexperience
absence of sperm
Unfinished production
Embryo experience
What To Do With Crested Gecko Eggs?
Your crested gecko eggs should be gently removed from the egg-laying box, without moving any of them from their original positions, and then sunk about a quarter-inch deep into the incubation medium.
Place the incubation box in a cool, dark location, such as on a shelf in a closet, and secure the shoebox lid.
Do Crested Geckos Store Sperm?
For the duration of the breeding season, female crested geckos can store sperm.
What Age Do Crested Geckos Breed?
Males breed around the age of 6 to 10 months while a female crested gecko attains sexual maturity after about a year.
Summary
Crested geckos are prolific breeders, and even a beginner can have success with breeding them.
As a breeder, you need to ensure that the crested geckos get the appropriate setup, nutrition, and environment for breeding in a healthy way.
Kaajal Kataria
I am a passionate pet lover and writer, dedicated to sharing tips, tricks, and stories that help pet owners provide the best possible care for their furry (or feathery or scaly) friends. Whether you're looking for advice on training, and nutrition, or simply want to read heartwarming tales of pets who've touched people's lives, this blog is the perfect place to start. When not writing, I can be found hiking, exploring new pet-friendly destinations, or cuddling up with my own beloved pets.
