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How I keep my female Leopard Geckos in breeding condition - Pics - May be graphic
Clint
Stay chooned in for more!
elgecko
I've got a magic window!
?
"Pinkies" refer to newborn mice. Once they develop hair, they're "fuzzies", then they start moving around, becoming "hoppers". Finally mom kicks them out, making them "weanlings", and then adults.
These aren't really technical terms, but rather are vernacular terms used in the reptile hobby for distinguishing sizes of feeder mice.
Pinkies are usually bad food - extremely high in fat. However, yolk in eggs is also mostly fat, so females need to replenish it. Thus, elgecko feeds his females some high-fat pinkies so they don't get too scrawny from putting all their reserves into their eggs.
Mokele
These aren't really technical terms, but rather are vernacular terms used in the reptile hobby for distinguishing sizes of feeder mice.
Pinkies are usually bad food - extremely high in fat. However, yolk in eggs is also mostly fat, so females need to replenish it. Thus, elgecko feeds his females some high-fat pinkies so they don't get too scrawny from putting all their reserves into their eggs.
Mokele
Clint
Stay chooned in for more!
elgecko
I've got a magic window!
Mokele,
Thanks for replying with such a good explaination for everyone here.
I've been a little bad in feeding my females. The breeding does take a lot of energy for the female to produce the eggs. Some are looking a little thin. I also wanted to get some waxworms to help fatten them up some, but the pet store has been out for a while now.
My mealworm cultures are not keeping up with all the hungry mouths. I need to buy 5000 more to start a few more cultures, plus spend the time and money to make a few changes that should get them to grow and multiple faster, some heat and light, instead of just sitting in the cold, dark garage.
mhf,
It is a little sad, and yes they are bought the day of the feeding.
I only feed my females pinkies 3 times during the breeding season. 1 just before the season starts, 1 around the middle, and 1 just before the end of the season.
Thanks for replying with such a good explaination for everyone here.
I've been a little bad in feeding my females. The breeding does take a lot of energy for the female to produce the eggs. Some are looking a little thin. I also wanted to get some waxworms to help fatten them up some, but the pet store has been out for a while now.
My mealworm cultures are not keeping up with all the hungry mouths. I need to buy 5000 more to start a few more cultures, plus spend the time and money to make a few changes that should get them to grow and multiple faster, some heat and light, instead of just sitting in the cold, dark garage.
mhf,
It is a little sad, and yes they are bought the day of the feeding.
I only feed my females pinkies 3 times during the breeding season. 1 just before the season starts, 1 around the middle, and 1 just before the end of the season.
Steve,
I'm curious about their metabolism ... how long in-between the feedings of the pinkies and do they eat anything else in that time (mealworms, etc)?
elgecko
I've got a magic window!
Are mealworms okay with them? I try to keep up in the herp trade, but it seems split between mealworms good/mealworms evil.
Heck one thread was saying they were too fatty to feed to Nepenthes(and they do have more fat than crickets, after googling this). Mealworms are easy to raise and crickets, well stink bad even after keeping them alive for a week.
We have two leopards. I have one about the size of yours, named skittles(by my kids) as he is very skittish and does not like to be held.
My daughter's is much smaller and she calls it Skittles II(guess why). I think it should be called Lucifer, because he is nasty. I was trying to get some skin off his head that would not shed and he bit and screamed(literally screamed) while I was trying to catch him.
Any advice on taming/calming them?
Do the leopards need movement for the pinkies? I have snakes that eat thawed and actually, I just got 700 frozen rodents(Manny, they are euthanized humanely so do not suffer being ate alive/constricted, whatever). I bought bulk thru the mail, as even with shipping, this many rodents cost about 10% of what they would be buying at Petco.
Sorry, too many questions at once.
Cheers,
Joe
Heck one thread was saying they were too fatty to feed to Nepenthes(and they do have more fat than crickets, after googling this). Mealworms are easy to raise and crickets, well stink bad even after keeping them alive for a week.
We have two leopards. I have one about the size of yours, named skittles(by my kids) as he is very skittish and does not like to be held.
My daughter's is much smaller and she calls it Skittles II(guess why). I think it should be called Lucifer, because he is nasty. I was trying to get some skin off his head that would not shed and he bit and screamed(literally screamed) while I was trying to catch him.
Any advice on taming/calming them?
Do the leopards need movement for the pinkies? I have snakes that eat thawed and actually, I just got 700 frozen rodents(Manny, they are euthanized humanely so do not suffer being ate alive/constricted, whatever). I bought bulk thru the mail, as even with shipping, this many rodents cost about 10% of what they would be buying at Petco.
Sorry, too many questions at once.
Cheers,
Joe
elgecko
I've got a magic window!
Joe,
Not a problem.
I have kept LG's many years and the staple diet I always gave them was mealworms and never had any problems.
My neps never complained about the feeding of mealworms to them, unless better growth is a bad thing?
You are correct about the crickets smelling. I only buy enough to feed the LG's a day in advance so I can gut load them before I feed them all to the LG's.
To help tame the LG's just place your hand in the tank for several minutes and let the lizard come to you. Do this several day in a row. After a while they get used to your hand in the tank and let you pick them up.
I never tried feeding anything other then live pinkies. You might be able to get them to take frozen after some time trying.
Not a problem.
I have kept LG's many years and the staple diet I always gave them was mealworms and never had any problems.
My neps never complained about the feeding of mealworms to them, unless better growth is a bad thing?
You are correct about the crickets smelling. I only buy enough to feed the LG's a day in advance so I can gut load them before I feed them all to the LG's.
To help tame the LG's just place your hand in the tank for several minutes and let the lizard come to you. Do this several day in a row. After a while they get used to your hand in the tank and let you pick them up.
I never tried feeding anything other then live pinkies. You might be able to get them to take frozen after some time trying.
FlytrapGurl
apple rings.. what more can i say?
To tame them all u can really do is handle them often & they should warm up to people. About the mealworms, i feed mine exclusively mealworms... he didnt used to accept them, but once i finally got him to, now he's gotten too lazy to even consider crickets again. they're alot easier to use too.
As for pinkie movement, it probably depends on the individual gecko... i know mine basically is too dumb to go for something that doesnt move, but some might actually have the mental capacity to figure the concept out, lol.
As for pinkie movement, it probably depends on the individual gecko... i know mine basically is too dumb to go for something that doesnt move, but some might actually have the mental capacity to figure the concept out, lol.
Roaches! I declare Roaches the KING feeder, some can get looking really cool too. And they come in any size from Nymph to Maturity which can be a few cm's to a couple inches!
Dont stink, Dont Climb, dont make noise (depending on species! noise for Hissers, and some do fly but usualy only males and only short distances) Roaches For EVER!
Dont stink, Dont Climb, dont make noise (depending on species! noise for Hissers, and some do fly but usualy only males and only short distances) Roaches For EVER!
