C. elok laying

kenya_1977 · #1 03-07-2007, 12:36 PM

So, I'm witnessing on of my female C. elok laying eggs right now, and I noticed that she's doing it preshed. Wondered if anyone else caught them laying.

ICU844 · #2 03-07-2007, 01:01 PM

do you have a nesting box in your tank, if so do you have any photos. Or if not a nesting box, under what conditions is she laying the eggs. I ask because 2 of my lady Eloks are gravid as well. I would like to locate the eggs without disturbing the furniture in my tanks. JERRY

kenya_1977 · #3 03-07-2007, 01:13 PM

I have a peat substrate that they lay in, but no nesting box. I like them to choose where to lay, I can usually figure it out ok if I've been keeping an eye on them, like seeing her lay them right now. When it's obvious to me that they've laid and I haven't seen it I just take them out and sort through the substrate.

ICU844 · #4 03-07-2007, 03:58 PM

Thanks for responding. Just a few other questions. How long basically does it take to hatch . Are the females able to drop eggs on a 30 day basis or what is your observation on their ability to become gravid again. JERRY

kenya_1977 · #5 03-07-2007, 05:38 PM

I noticed this female was gravid 30 days ago and separated her (as well as one other). So, I would actually guess that gestation is closer to 60 days given that these two were showing and took another month before laying. My last clutch was at the beginning of January which supports a 60 day gestation.

Incubation of Cyrtodactylus takes quite a while. My last clutch took 5 months. 180 days isn't uncommon. It has also been found that increasing moisture in the vermiculite stimulates hatching. When I realized that my last clutch had been incubating for 5 months I added water and within the week they hatched.

ICU844 · #6 03-07-2007, 09:08 PM

This information has been very helpful. I generally use coconut strands as my medium for incubating instead of vermiculite. I find it maintains a higher moisture for a longer period of time. But just as long as it works is the key.

I did not realize the length of time for incubation. Thats one of the drawbacks to this species as well as all the Cyrtodactylus. It basically provides an explanation as to why its not a gecko that one can capitalize on if one were to go in business of c.b. geckos. The return is to long for the investment. Aside from which geckos usually become gravid on a 30 day basis more frequently than 60 days!

But if I can get some offspring from my little colony. I would be very happy about that. Thanks again and I will keep you informed as things devleop. JERRY

Bowfinger · #7 03-08-2007, 04:25 PM

Jerry, you are smart to want profit, as with age we learn how important that is unless you have a sugar mama taking care of you. I still see much profits from my cyrtos in the years to come without turning the project into a crested gecko or leopard gecko mill and at the same time experience one of the hidden gems of the hobby.
Thanks Crystal for bringing your experience as you are one of the "crossroads" with background in other similar hobbies/study.

ICU844 · #8 03-08-2007, 08:58 PM

Shane, the entire species of Cyrtodactylus, when I was importing them many years ago were the most reasonable of all the geckos we were obtaining from Malaysia and Thailand. I am going back at least 30 years ago. Here's the problem

Even selling them dirt cheap, their was never an interest in them! For the following reasons. They always appeared dark, uncolorful, and difficult to keep alive.

We all know the exporters never took care of them after captivity, regardless of how many times I may have complained, it was a loosing cause! Moving up to the current availability, people who look to capitalize on these geckos (Cyrtodactylus) are getting a better quality gecko today, but have to wait almost a half a year without any guarantee of sucess. Unless you have allot of females dropping eggs monthly and geckos being born monthly, its not an investment gecko.

It has no effect on me as I am not in it for the money, but their would be benefits if more people concentrated on this group. Incidentlly, it happens to be a very large group of geckos. Its just unfortunate that more of the unusual or never before seen Cyrto's are not available. JERRY

Bowfinger · #9 03-09-2007, 12:48 AM

I am sure we will slowly start seeing the unusual Cyrtos as well as the Geckoella with time at least in small numbers. I am not in this for money as well, though I will make money off of my offspring as demand allows no doubt.
I want to add it is the quality of the imports and variety of healthy geckos offered that has me jumping into these guys head first. Something not felt before from other lizards I had past interests in. Jerry you surpass me by far in the history of this hobby especially these geckos, but I did pick up the first Green Burmese Pythons to ever hit the US many years ago if that makes me any less green

ICU844 · #10 03-09-2007, 03:40 PM

Here is the difficulty with selling. Lets use Elok as an example. If you hatch 2 eggs and it takes 5 months to hatch, unless you use DNA on their first shed, you will not know what their sex is. No one is going to buy unsexed Eloks with an incubation period of 5 months. Let us assume that the babies turn out to be females. That would be ideal, but again, unless you have baby males its not a worthy investment. Secondly, I dont know how long it takes before you can guarantee the sex of the Eloks.

Because of their gestation period it would take Elok another 60 days to drop 2 more eggs. So now we are at 7 months before any geckos are born. Unsexed and limited in availabilty. So you can see, the answer if you were to look at from a financial venture would be to have a large colony with eggs being dropped monthly and geckos being born monthly. Then you have a farm! Not exactly what I had in mind ! JERRY