How to Breed Geckos

Geckos are an immensely popular variety of lizard that differ greatly in size, color, shape and preferred habitat. Some of the more popular types of geckos include Tokay geckos, house geckos and leopard geckos, all of which are readily found in most pet stores. Breeding these lizards ranks high with reptile breeding hobbyists. Although popular, breeding geckos requires much patience, care, research, equipment and a little expertise.

Things You'll Need

  • Male gecko
  • Female gecko
  • 20-gallon aquarium
  • Substrate
  • Screen lid
  • Heat lamp
  • Heat bulb
  • Water dish
  • Cage furniture
  • 16-oz. cups, 2
  • 16-oz. cup lid
  • Vermiculite
  • Damp moss
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Instructions

  1. Set up the Habitat

    • 1

      Cover the bottom of the tank with about an inch of substrate. The type of substrate really depends on the type of gecko you're trying to breed. Tokay geckos prefer bark, while leopard geckos prefer sand. Research the type of gecko you have before deciding which kind of substrate to use.

    • 2

      Place the water dish, filled with fresh water, in one side of the tank.

    • 3

      Scatter the cage furniture around the tank; this can include logs, tunnels and foliage.

    • 4

      Top the tank off with the screen lid and place the heat lamp, with the heat bulb screwed in, atop it.

    The Breeding Cycle

    • 5

      Place both the male and female geckos within the habitat.

    • 6

      Turn the heat lamp on during the day and off at night. Fluctuations in air temperature, typically by about 10 degrees Fahrenheit, tend to trigger breeding.

    • 7

      Wait. It may take months for the animals to mate with each other. Until then, care for them as you normally would, with the type of care depending on the type of gecko.

    • 8

      Watch for aggression from the male. As he prepares to breed, he continuously stalks the female, even occasionally biting her. Eventually, they will copulate by curling their tails together, and this act may take place several times.

    • 9

      Check periodically a few weeks after copulation for signs of the female's pregnancy, which can be checked by examining her stomach. If she is pregnant, white bulges protrude from either side of her stomach. They are elliptical in shape and may take up as much as half the length of her body.

    Egg Laying and Care

    • 10

      Fill one 16-oz. cup with slightly damp moss and place it in a corner of the tank. This serves as the female's nesting area. The female almost always utilizes this nest to lay her eggs. If she lays any on the tank floor, then they are most certainly infertile.

    • 11

      Place an inch or two of damp vermiculite inside the other 16-oz. cup.

    • 12

      Gently remove the eggs, keeping them right side up, and place them in the cup of vermiculite.

    • 13

      Secure the cup lid onto the cup and place it back in the cage.

    • 14

      About once every five days, open the lid to let in some oxygen, then close it again. The gestation period should last about two months. After this, move the newly hatched babies to their own habitat.