> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Date: Fri, 2 Mar 2001 09:29:54 -0500
>
> How long did your Leo carry her eggs before she laid them? I have my first
> gravid Leo, and she has been carrying them for a little over two weeks. She
> used to look pudgy on both sides of her body, but now she appears to be
> bulging much more on one side than the other. I have never had a gravid
> gecko, so this is all new to me.
This is normal. The two eggs are not held symmetrically, one is further
forward than the other. If you can get a look at her belly, you can usually
see the two eggs through the skin when they are full size and soon to be laid.
> Previously I mentioned on the list that I
> do not have any males with her, so either she got impregnated at the petstore
> before I got her, or as Lyle said she could just have infertile eggs. What
> would make a gecko produce eggs if she has never been in contact with a male?
If they are old/big enough and healthy and well fed they will produce eggs,
it seems. My guess is that in nature, the chances of *not* being able to
find a male are so small that they have no provision for it. Also they can
retain sperm from one mating for well over a year, which may be longer than
they can remember their activities :-). You should be able to tell within
a couple of weeks whether the eggs are fertile. They will have a pink glow
or visible veins when you shine a flashlight through them. If they aren't
fertile, perhaps you can borrow a male for a few nights for her.
> Will she keep producing eggs in the future? I have been feeding her well
> and have a dish of calcium in the enclosure, but it appears to me that she
> has lost a little mass in her tail also. It is still quite substantial, but
> it is not as thick as it used to be. Any info would be much appreciated. I
> am a little nervous about not doing all the right things...
They store fat in their tails both for times of scarcity and so that they
can quickly produce egg yolks, which have a high fat content.
If she is plump and eating well and laying eggs, she is getting what she
needs and then some.
I hope this helps, although I have far less experience than most of the
people on the list.
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