can someone answer this for me

[leonerdo55]

y do you have to incubate the eggs in captivity when in the wild the mommy hatches them?...is it because they arnt born with the knowledge to hatch them in captivity? or is it because in captivity the enviornment isnt the way it would be in their natural habitat?...

 

[acpart]

For most (but not all) reptiles, the mother does not hatch them in the wild. Instead she digs a hole, lays the eggs, covers them and leaves. If the temperatures are correct, the eggs hatch and the babies dig their way to the surface. If by some chance the mother is around when they dig their way out, she will probably eat them. Survival rates are not high due to the dependence on nature to provide the correct temperatures and the number of predators eager to eat baby geckos. There are people who provide a substrate and a very large cage and have their geckos bury the eggs on their own and successfully hatch babies. Someone on GF recently had data and pictures about his success with this. It is easiest, however, to provide a spot that will attract a female gecko to lay her eggs, then to remove the eggs and incubate them which insures a much higher hatch and survival rate.

Aliza

 

[GrimmyX15]

"mommy" dont hatch them like bird sitting in nest,
Silly.

 

[leonerdo55]

well thanx for clearing that up...great explanation that makes more sence...

 

[robin]

i have a leopard gecko that was hatched in with the mother in the enclosure.

 

[ReptarNDukeNukem]

Robin did you know that the egg was their or one day it popped out of no where?

 

[lillith]

You know, maybe I'm looking too deeply into this, but I notice my girls kinda flip out when I remove the eggs immediately. My first try, I just took the egg hide out and kept it out until I knew she was going to lay again. This led to her completely tearing up her other hide and the paper towels looking for her lay site.

It may not be mammalian mother instincts, but they get little hormone surges when they lay eggs. I'm not saying they're attached to their eggs, but something in them wants to make sure the effort stays safe. It might not be Gecko Mama Luv, but it's pretty close, if you ask me.

These days, I try to wait a few hours, carefully take the hide and eggs, put the dirt back as close to the shape mama had it, and give her back her lay site. I'll swap out the lay medium next time I clean all tanks. That way they can lay on it for a few days and not be so sketched out about the whole thing. Sometimes they'll be better about eating this way afterward, too (not always). I also leave the egg hide in all season now.

Yeah I might be anthropomorphizing, but I love my geckos. They're so squishy and quirky. =)

 

[robin]

Robin did you know that the egg was their or one day it popped out of no where?

kelli @hiss the breeder did not know the egg was in there she thought the female was done because she dropped her a dud and did not lay any more. then however long later a lil baby in there hehe