Breeding of Leopard Geckos
Like all other animals, Leopard Geckos also need one female and one male to start the breeding. You may also keep a few female geckos with a male gecko. A male leopard gecko can identify the sex of other geckos very easily by smelling the pheromones on their skin. A Male leopard gecko shows a very courtship behavior with a female, while respond a very rough behavior with male geckos. So it will be better to keep one male will a few females. If a male gecko contacts with other male, it would rise up itself from the ground and extend its limbs to arch its back with the inflammation of its tongue in aggression. Then it makes a quick vigorous bite and often lacerates the skin to injure its opponent. Male geckos behave the same with females when they shed their skin. But male geckos express a very courtship behavior with the females before and after the shedding of their skin. So it can be suggested that, every gecko owners will separate the male geckos from the females during the time of their shedding skin.
Reproduction of Leopard Geckos
Reproduction of leopard gecko is also known as TSD (Temperature-Dependent Sex Determination). Because it has been proved from the research that more female geckos are produced in cool temperatures (about 26-30Ëš C) and some of them in warm temperatures about (about 34-35Ëš C). But male geckos are produced at medium temperatures (about 31-33Ëš C). The female gecko that born in high temperatures is behaviorally and hormonally different from those who were born in low temperatures. The females who born in high temperatures are generally expressed aggressive behavior. These geckos are defined as “hot females” and they are unable to reproduce.
The sexual maturity between leopard geckos occurs in 8-9 months of age. They can be breed as a single pair or in a group containing several females with just one male. Female geckos may need to cooperate with a male gecko and judge him before she selects him as her companion. In the time of breeding, the male gecko will tap its tail, which expresses that he is prepared to mate. He will run before the female and when will catch her male gecko will rise on the female for mating. Then he will frequently bite in her head.
Generally leopard geckos breed during the months between January to September. Female geckos can stock sperm over the time of their breeding season, so that, reproductive success is not essential for the male geckos after the first or second sexual intercourse. To calcify the eggs of gecko, she needs a lot of calcium when she is pregnant. Normally they lay two eggs just after 21 to 28 days of their mating. Droplets of moisture will come into view on the shell after 45 to 60 days and shell will start to get smaller and partially reduce, which indicates that the eggs will hatch very soon. Baby geckos contain an egg tooth, which help to fracture their egg shell. Within two days of hatching their egg tooth may fall off. As well, the skin of baby leopard gecko will shed within 24 hours.
