How to Breed Marbled Geckos
Marbled geckos are small geckos native to Australia. They get their name because of their marbled pattern and are common all over Southern and Western Australia, even in cities. They are readily available in some pet stores and are not generally expensive to purchase. Breeding marbled geckos can be an interesting and educational project.
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Things You'll Need
- Male marbled gecko
- Female marbled gecko
- Incubator
- Incubation medium
- Deli cup
Instructions
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1
Ensure both geckos are properly sexed. Males will have two small bulges on the sides of their tail, where it meets their body. Females will have no such bulges.
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2
Place the male and female geckos together. They should readily breed, but care should be taken to ensure that they don't fight. Fighting can be avoided by putting the geckos in a larger tank or in a separate breeding tank so they are in neutral territory.
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3
Prepare the incubation medium and place it in the deli cup, filling the container about one-third full. Incubation medium may be aquatic plant soil, potting soil, coconut fiber, vermiculite or perlite. It will need to be moistened, but not soaked. Some incubation medium comes pre-moistened and is specifically for reptile eggs, like Super Hatch.
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4
Poke two small holes in the prepared incubation medium with your finger. Gently place the eggs in these holes, without turning them over or rotating them. If the eggs are turned upside down for a prolonged period of time, it is possible the embryos will drown.
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5
Tuck in the eggs by brushing the incubation medium up against the eggs, almost as if you are packing soil around a plant while planting it. About one-third of the eggs should still be exposed. Place the container into the incubator.
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6
Set the incubator to 80 to 82 degrees, and the eggs should hatch in between 65 and 200 days if they're fertile.
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Tips & Warnings
Marbled geckos can climb all over their cage thanks to their "sticky" feet. Because of this, they may lay eggs somewhere where it is difficult to remove them, like inside cage decorations. If this is the case, a deli cup can be affixed over the eggs with tape to protect them and contain any babies. The temperatures in the cage itself should be sufficient to incubate them.
