Mexican Banded Gecko Breeding
Please select which topic you require information on
When considering breeding Mexican banded geckos, the most important questions to ask are:
Are they at least a year old?
Are they in maximum health?
If the answer is no to any of these questions, it is unadvisable to breed.
This usually occurs from around February to October. Breeding season can be replicated by a photoperiod, however this does not always work. A photoperiod is the length of light to darkness and heat ratio. Less hours of light and heat simulate the winter conditions, however not all captive bred geckos follow or respond to this pattern. Using a timer to control heat and light is the easiest way to do this. Increasing the amount of light and heat slowly should alert the gecko that it is time to breed. It is not essential to replicate the actual length of time of the winter and spring months, and a cool period of a month or two should suffice, before slowly increasing light and temperature. Note that feeding habits may change during this time, with less being eaten.
When the male has picked up the female scent, he will approach her, should the female oblige, the male will often nip the female by the neck shortly before breeding. Breeding usually takes a few minutes. Watch for injuries to the skin on the female during this time, although normally no major injuries should occur.
It is important to note that eggs will normally still be laid even if the female has never been housed with a male, these will of course be infertile and can be thrown away. Eggs are clearly seen on the underside of a gravid female. Once females are gravid, provide a laying box.
How to make a laying box:
A margarine tub/small ice cream tub with a hole cut in the side large enough for the gecko to fit through comfortably.
The substrate should be able to retain moisture, and be kept damp. An ideal mixture would be a mix of organic peat (or eco-earth/coconut fibre etc) and moss.
Note that geckos may not always use the laying box. If you find that the first clutch is laid somewhere other than the laying box, try moving the box to that area for the next clutch.
Gravid geckos will dig to find the optimum place and temperature to deposit the eggs, and with banded geckos, this is often in the most moist part of the enclosure. Sometimes preparation may occur up to a week before laying, with much disruption to the substrate. Healthy geckos may produce around 3-8+ clutches a year, consisting of two eggs at a time, normally at 2 - 5 week intervals. The eggs will often be buried under a thick layer of substrate, and can sometimes be hard to find. If deposited in a laying box, you will often find that most of the substrate has been moved into one corner, which usually indicates that the eggs are beneath. Be very careful when removing the eggs, as the shells will remain quite soft for a while after laying. It is essential not to rotate the eggs when moving, as this will drown the embryo. Try to place the eggs into the incubation container in the same position they were laid in.
When placing into a home-made incubator, a rack or shelf device should be used to keep the container raised, as to not directly touch the heat mat. Read more about this in the
D.I.Y Incubator section. An ideal container size would be a small margarine tub or empty cricket container. Eggs should ideally be incubated in the medium they were laid in, about an inch depth will suffice, which should be kept damp, note that it is very important not to be wet, and not to spray water directly onto the eggs as this will kill the embryo. The medium should cover the bottom half of the egg.
Temperatures for incubating Mexican Banded geckos.
Females
79 - 82°F (26 - 28°C)
Males
87 - 90°F (30 - 32°C)
Mix
82 - 86°F (28 - 30° C)
-- Note that temperatures exceeding the male incubation
temperatures can either kill the embryo or result in 'hot'
females. These are often very aggressive and territorial, and
cannot be housed with other females. Eggs will usually hatch
between 45 to 80 days, with males usually hatching earlier than
females.
You will need:
-
Large polystyrene box (with lid) - ask at pet shops selling fish, or a fishmonger for a spare one
-
A heat mat thermostat
-
A digital thermometer with a probe (available from most catering supply shops)
-
Strong wire, or something similar which will make a secure shelf to hold the containers
1) Plug the heat mat into the heat mat
thermostat, and place on the bottom of the polystyrene box
(small holes can be cut in the polystyrene box to allow cables
to pass through, try to make these as tight fitting as possible,
as the more air entering the incubator, the more the fluctuation
of heat). A rack/shelf should be made to hold the containers
holding the eggs from directly touching the heat mat. About 3
inches above the heat mat will suffice.
2) The probe from the heat mat thermostat
should be placed at the same level as the containers holding the
eggs. The digital thermometer probe should be placed alongside
the heat mat thermostat (it is best to tape the two probes
together to be more accurate).
3) The heat mat thermostat dial can then be adjusted to the correct
temperature. This may take sometime to get the desired
temperatures. When the heat mat thermostat is set to the correct
temperatures, it will turn the heat mat off when the temperature
gets too high, and back on when it gets too low.
..............................................................................................
Please note that all information represents our own views and
experiences, and those of other experienced breeders and hobbyists who we have worked closely alongside. Winston's Web
therefore holds no responsibility. If in doubt, ask a qualified
herpetological veterinary surgeon.
..............................................................................................
