housing geckos

[TheReptileben]

just wanted to know who housed their geckos together I have a male and a female helmeted gecko D. galiatus she has already bred this season and is popping heaps of clutches could they be housed together?

 

[Rocket]

If you mean hatchlings and adults, I would advise against it. Adults have a voracious appetite and will not discern between the moving tail or leg of a juvenile and prey. Furthermore, adults may dominate when it comes to feeding, leaving the growing hatchlings/ juveniles nothing to feed on.

 

[TheReptileben]

I mean both are adults I have the male and female separated right now and wanting to know if I can put the male back in with her

 

[Rocket]

Provided she feeds readily and has plenty of condition on her, go for it. Another thing to think about is the amount of clutches she has produced. How many has she laid and at what interclutch intervals (i.e. time between clutches?).

Have you got any photos of them to share?

 

[TheReptileben]

View attachment 267610female View attachment 267611male the male is about a cm bigger than her she has laid 3 clutches with about a month break between them

 

[Rocket]

Pictures didn't work mate. A month apart should be fine but don't let her lay too many more clutches. Five clutches each season is my maximum provided the females are healthy and keep weight on them.

 

[TheReptileben]

View attachment 267612how do you stop her from laying she was only mated once then I separated them

 

[Rocket]

They usually respond to environmental cues in order to stop ovulating (such as food reduction, decrease in temps etc). That is the problem, as long as she is kept fed, she can use stored sperm to produce clutches when ovulating. If you want her to stop, perhaps separation and a slow reduction of food will cause her to stop.

Pics still aren't working.

 

[JasonL]

Yeah, as Rocket said, keep the male separate and drastically reduce heating, geckos shouldnt be heated at night, too much heat will hasten the egg making process and reduce the hatch rate in some species. Wild geckos generally dont get ideal temps every day like they get in captivity and their body clock ticks at a much slower rate.