Male and Female Partners

[Coils]

Okay, so I am a little confused about the whole...housing a male and female together thing.

I hear it can be done, but what would I need to do for them? I hear that the male can bully the female to breed too often or he can accept her saying "no" and then it should be okay to keep them together.

Is it really safe to house them with one another all year round without the constant need to be -watching- them or see if he -will- bully her even after he's accepted the "no" maybe one visible time? :main_huh:

I would love a female and male to get along and be life long house mates instead of being kept separate, but what are the risks of it and is it an okay idea? Would they get along and how often -would- they safely mate in a year if they stay housed with one another. I can easy handle the babies/eggs, but I don't want the female in danger over being over bred. :main_no:

(picture is unrelated, but for your enjoyment)

 

[acpart]

As long as you're prepared to deal with the babies and the male and female are appropriate weight for breeding, it is the same as when you keep 2 females together: some get along and some don't. THere is the added problem of the male wanting to bother the female too much, but you can say that's similar to a female bullying another female. As I've posted before, I keep my breeding groups (1.2 or 1.3) together Jan-Oct, or whenever I have cage space to separate them. THis season I have so many hatchlings I may not be able to separate them at all. I have 1 male housed with a female who does not seem to ovulate anymore or cooperate with breeding. She is firm with the male (and she also hides all the time) and he doesn't bother her. They are together all year. I had to move another female from the cage because he wasn't leaving her alone and she was clearly starting to have problems.

You don't need to watch them all the time to see if there's a problem but here's what you do need to do:

--provide a lay box just in case
--keep an eye on each one to check for the same things you'd look for in a potential bullying situation: scratches on a gecko, weight loss, major behavior change, refusal to eat (not related to ovulation)

Aliza

 

[Coils]

As long as you're prepared to deal with the babies and the male and female are appropriate weight for breeding, it is the same as when you keep 2 females together: some get along and some don't. THere is the added problem of the male wanting to bother the female too much, but you can say that's similar to a female bullying another female. As I've posted before, I keep my breeding groups (1.2 or 1.3) together Jan-Oct, or whenever I have cage space to separate them. THis season I have so many hatchlings I may not be able to separate them at all. I have 1 male housed with a female who does not seem to ovulate anymore or cooperate with breeding. She is firm with the male (and she also hides all the time) and he doesn't bother her. They are together all year. I had to move another female from the cage because he wasn't leaving her alone and she was clearly starting to have problems.

You don't need to watch them all the time to see if there's a problem but here's what you do need to do:

--provide a lay box just in case
--keep an eye on each one to check for the same things you'd look for in a potential bullying situation: scratches on a gecko, weight loss, major behavior change, refusal to eat (not related to ovulation)

Aliza

Okay thanks. I knew there is a chance of the just not getting along, but I wanted to know if it was worth it. Also if I don't have the cage space is it okay to just house them all year? Is it suggested that you seperate them during those months and why?

Do they HAVE to be of breeding age to house them together. What if they are both young, but about the same age right now? Can they grow up together so they can possibly get used to the other gecko at a younger age?

 

[acpart]

I like to separate the males for awhile for 2 reasons:

--I regroup my geckos every season and don't want any of the males to "jump the gun"
--I feel it may help with breeding interest for them to have a break from each other for awhile, though it may not be necessary

The only problem with keeping young males and females together is that they may breed before the female is big enough to safely breed. It could affect her long term growth and could also cause her to become egg bound

ALiza

 

[Coils]

I like to separate the males for awhile for 2 reasons:

--I regroup my geckos every season and don't want any of the males to "jump the gun"
--I feel it may help with breeding interest for them to have a break from each other for awhile, though it may not be necessary

The only problem with keeping young males and females together is that they may breed before the female is big enough to safely breed. It could affect her long term growth and could also cause her to become egg bound

ALiza

Okay thanks again. Lol sorry for so many questions, but it's always better to ask before just doing something stupid right?

I want to know one more thing, what age do they mature for breeding and could I keep them togetehr for a little while when they are young then separate them around when these times come...especially for the male so he wont try breeding her too early?

 

[acpart]

They are ready to breed at minimum 9 months and minimum 50 grams for the female. THey are probably mature to breed well before that. I would go out on a limb to say that below 25 grams they are probably not mature. I produced one male hatchling this year that I kept with a female until I sold him last week. He was about 23 grams when I sold him and had shown no typical male behaviors --no tail rattling or mounting the female. Beyond that, you're playing with fire.

Aliza