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 #1894106


Starshine
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 Side note... is this right?

After being nagged by several people about breeding, I decided to do a little research, no I do not have any plans on breeding any time soon. I just want to make sure I have my information right before I even attempt it.

Plus I’m missing the Daddy LOL...
Anyways, here’s the info I’ve found so far

A breeding group may consist of one male and three to four females. Never house males together as they are very territorial and will fight. Mating for the African Fat Tail usually takes place in November or December with the first eggs being laid in late December. Eggs are usually laid in clutches (which consist of two eggs). A clutch is then laid every ten to fifteen days after wards. Each female can lay between three to thirteen clutches in a season, depending on their health and genetic makeup.

Keep a closed plastic container inside the cage with an opening large enough for the Fat Tails to go in and out. This plastic container will act as a hide box as well as an egg laying site for the females. Keep about two-three inches of coarse vermiculite (commonly found at garden stores) inside the container. Mist the inside of the container occasionally to keep the vermiculite damp but not wet. The eggs can become damaged by to much moisture or by becoming to dry. The female will lay her eggs inside the plastic container.

The eggs will be soft shelled and can be removed for incubation. Place the eggs inside a plastic container with dampened vermiculite and cover the container with a lid and place it into the incubator. Check the container every few days to make sure the vermiculite maintains moisture and to let fresh air into the container. Make sure you check the containers often when its close to hatching time and remove hatchlings as soon as they have hatched.

The sex of the hatchlings is determined by what temperature the eggs are incubated at. To produce females the eggs should be incubated at 80-83 degrees F. Unlike the Leopard Gecko the African Fat Tail eggs should not be incubated below 80 degrees F as this will kill the embryo. To produce mostly males incubate from 85-88 degrees F. Incubators are available at most farm supply stores sold as chicken egg incubators (Hovabator).

The eggs usually hatch out between forty to sixty days, depending on the temperature incubated at. The higher the temperature in the incubator the sooner the eggs will hatch but remember, the higher the temperature in the incubator the more males you will produce.

The hatchlings will not feed until they have had their first shed, which usually takes about five days after hatching.


Is there a certain size or age that females and males need to be before they can be breed?
I do remember reading somewhere that the female has to be fatted up before breeding, is this right?

Thank for all comments and help :)



11/06/08  01:01pm

 #1894240


Leah_Lizard
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   Message To: Starshine   In reference to Message Id: 1894106


 Side note... is this right?

i would make sure they are all nice and fat and wait until everybody is at leaast a year old then maybe wait a couple extra months just in case
11/06/08  06:11pm

 #1894265


Starshine
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   Message To: Leah_Lizard   In reference to Message Id: 1894240


 Side note... is this right?

Yeah, I’m still not planning on it any time soon, and my youngest is already getting fat lol, she’s a piggy!

Is there any way to tell their age if no one knows when they hatched?
11/06/08  06:33pm

 #1894344


AllHailRain
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   Message To: Starshine   In reference to Message Id: 1894265


 Side note... is this right?

an educated guess. juveniles are smaller, grow faster, and eat more.
you could ask the person/store where you got him from too.
11/06/08  07:51pm

 #1894526


Starshine
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   Message To: AllHailRain   In reference to Message Id: 1894344


 Side note... is this right?

Where I got them is pretty clueless, I did ask, and was told Georga was 2-3 months old.... well from every pic I’ve seen of any that size she was way too big to still be that young. She’s over six inches long now, and weighs 26 grams ( as of last week) and still eats a lot every day. Stimpy is at 24 grams ( as of last week) Has a shorter tail but is approximately the same length, however is more "grown" looking.

I’m not sure when they stop growing, but I’m gonna guess and say that Georga is probably 6-7 months old, and Stimpy and adult , I really don’t think she will grow any more, but we are trying to fatten her up some :)

I’m in no rush for the breeding thing, was just looking into it. Would still need a healthy adult male, and an incubator before I even gave it serious thought. ( plus would have to make sure the "vet account" is high enough for an emergency visit if something happened to go wrong with my babies)
11/07/08  07:31am

 #1897042


Leah_Lizard
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   Message To: Starshine   In reference to Message Id: 1894526


 Side note... is this right?

once they are old enough to be sexed then they are 3-4 months old and just wait a year from 3 months just in case i want to be breed elmo with my friend’s gecko in april.
11/11/08  08:33pm


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