Quite obviously females and male can lead to babies and this is what I wished to discuss. I got a new Exo-Terra terrarium at Christmas and now have plenty of room for not my current little guy but maybe for a companion. I've heard that two males are a bad mix (territorial) so my other option would be a female (or a differnt breed gecko with similar needs, still don't know if that's a good option though... would appreciate any advice). My questions are: 1) Do geckos always mate if they have the chance? (do they mate only if they like eachother?) 2) how many potential babies can I expect in a year? 3) Can I keep both female and male together all the time? 4)I'm not entirely sure I want to have a dozen geckos running around my room (fun as it may be...) What are my options in regards to birth control and the like (I might be able to sell babies to my local pet store, they are very good with reptiles...)<- is that a good option? Any advice on this subject would be much appreciated, I still have lots of research to do before this actually happens and I figured I'd ask the experts. Thanks
These are good questions, it's so tempting to increase collection size...especially if you have a nice sized setup thats just asking to be filled with new herps! = ) 1) Yes, they will breed regardless - there is little emotional attachment between geckos, even in the breeding process. Their programmed (just like every other living thing) to reproduce and have offspring. When a breedable male comes into contact with a breedable female, they will mate. 2) It depends on the female, and her experience. Typically, you can expect two eggs every 6-8 weeks during the breeding season which usually lasts for about 6-8 months after winter. I'd say a good average is about 6-8 clutches per year. A winter cooldown is required to give the female a chance to recover from breedings and to natually encourage breeding when the weather breaks. If they are kept warm year round, they will breed year round and the female can exhaust herself. There's no gurantee that a male may not still try to copulate in the winter, so its actually best to always keep them separated for 3-4 months out of the year in the winter season. 3) Yes. But you MUST cool them down in the winter to inhibit the mating drive - keep in mind that sometimes a fiesty male will still breed during this time and will need separated though. 4) It's up to you, but one option is to freeze the eggs after they are laid to kill the embryo - or you could simply neglect to care for the eggs properly to ensure their demise. The latter is a little more cruel simply because it gives the embryo a chance to develop before ultimately dying, whereas freezing is like pasturizing the eggs we eat where the embryo is still quite undeveloped. There is obviously going to be controversy with these options just as there is with abortion, etc. Selling to a store is an option, but make sure the demand exists for at least a dozen babies a year. There are some rhacodactylus species that will generally get along okay together - you can keep R. chahoua and R. sarasinorum with crested geckos with generally few problems so long as there is adequate food, water, and hiding areas. R. auriculatus is a notorious tail biter, and they have a greater capacity of bullying crested geckos if kept in smaller vivaria but they are known to have been kept with cresties with success. If you can set up an elaborate enclosure with various niches, you can increase the capacity of having another herp in there - but I wouldn't add something that isn't from the same general area or genus (Rhacodactylus). Keep in mind, too that some of these species are known to breed and produce hybrids as well, although this is generally a much rarer event.
Thanks, That's really helpful. I had considered freezing the eggs, you make a good point with the separation though, I know that Cresties can be sensitive to stress and the last thing I would want to do would to hurt either of them. Do you know if age would have a factor on it? IF I get a female my guy will probably be at least a year older then her.
well you wouldnt want to house them together if their is a big size issue, but as far as age i dont think cresties care too much.
Which of either R Chahoua or R. Auriculatus would be better? I would probably go for either of these ones instead of getting another Crestie simply because there's less chance of successful reproduction (I'm leaning toward a Chahoua though).
R. chahoua is a better option - they tend to be more passive and attain a similar size to ciliatus. There are probably the most hybrid success stories with R.ciliatus x R. chahoua in addition to vivarium success with these two species which would suggest they would probably be your better option. Just make sure the enclosure is large enough to meet each gecko's needs and there is adequate hiding, climbing, food, and water for each to prevent dispute and stress. Aurics, particularly younger individuals are known tail biters and protein cravers - your more likely with this species to encounter bullying and tail loss. Your budget will also come into play, as R. chahoua and R. sarasinorum are much rarer in the trade and fetch a much higher dollar value. I know for a fact the Philippe de Vosjoli has had success keeping all of these species with crested geckos, but if I recall correctly he notes best success with the chewies.
Just to add to Jeff's post - Chahoua are lovely little guys, but they do get larger than crested and the males can become almost as territorial as leachies, but that's rare. They have been kept together with cresties in large tanks but it is noted by some of the long-term breeders that Chahoua thrive on more humidity than cresties do. There's also a huge following FOR hybrids as well as a huge taboo AGAINST hybrid cresties/chahoua. Because Chahoua are not nearly as common as cresties and their high price tag (expect to pay a minimum of $300 for an unsexed hatchling right now) tend to make these a very "followed" species. By that I mean that a good number of the Chahoua come with pedigrees or lineage forms or at least proof of parentage which designates their linage as either Pine or Main Island or a cross at minimum and higher priced Chahoua with lineage back to de Vosjoli or Repashy or on rare occasions a wild caught. It's not as crazy as leachie parentage lines but it's close to it... I wouldn't purchase a chahoua for over $300 without any of those things... If I were in your shoes I would possibly wait until your crestie is fully grown and can be positively sexed, then if it's a male possibly get him his own enclosure and get two sexed females to put in the larger tank. Then if you ever want to breed them you can put the male in with the females and then take the male out when breeding season is over Or you could always use the smaller tank (the one you had) for your crestie and just so happen to use the larger tank for a Chahoua... (Sorry, I'm addicted to them! I have to spread my addiction around, lol) I currently own 3 chahoua, 1 garg, and 1 crestie - all of which are housed separately. If you would like any further info on chahoua or reputable chahoua breeders let me know Good luck with whatever you decide!
