What species to start with breeding

thercman · #1 (**permalink**) 01-31-2010, 02:53 PM

Hello!

I am interested in breeding some geckos and was wondering what species to start with as there are many. The goal is not to do this as a source of income but as a hobby and learning experience. Thus the adults will be kept in display cages for example instead of rubbermaids. The plan is to have 2 or 3 pairs of viable parents. Of course the newly hatched geckos will live in the rack until they can be sold or traded. I am looking forward to this experience. Thanks in advance....

Greg

Martinotti Reptiles · #2 (**permalink**) 01-31-2010, 06:01 PM

Well, it depends if you want to start out with something easy. Leopard, crested, and African fat tail geckos are some of the easier ones as far as general care. But if you don't mind a challenge then just look around and see what species is attractive to you, and read up about them to decide whether the level of care is something you feel comfortable with or not.

It's like when I was picking a chameleon species to start with, everyone suggested the two easiest species. But I found one I loved, I read up on them and thought that the care level was completely within my comfort level. So just find something that you love, and go from there.

**Riverside Reptiles** · #3 (**permalink**) 01-31-2010, 08:17 PM

Breeding a species that you enjoy is obviously the first thing you need to think about. The next thing you need to think about is how easy is it going to be to find homes for the offspring. Leopard geckos and crested geckos are easy to breed. But they're also so common that they can be downright hard to find a home for. Also you need to consider things like speed of reproduction. Again, leopard and crested geckos breed like mice. It's very easy to become over run with offspring. I would start by keeping a species for a while and THEN, down the road, decide on if you want to actually breed it.

cliff_f · #4 (**permalink**) 01-31-2010, 10:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Riverside Reptiles

Breeding a species that you enjoy is obviously the first thing you need to think about. The next thing you need to think about is how easy is it going to be to find homes for the offspring. Leopard geckos and crested geckos are easy to breed. But they're also so common that they can be downright hard to find a home for. Also you need to consider things like speed of reproduction. Again, leopard and crested geckos breed like mice. It's very easy to become over run with offspring. I would start by keeping a species for a while and THEN, down the road, decide on if you want to actually breed it.

I agree with everything Ethan said. Really is shouldn't come down to what is easy to breed. You really need to focus on breeding a gecko that you enjoy keeping (even if it is a hard species to breed). But the main thing keep geckos that you enjoy and then work on breeding them.

thercman · #5 (**permalink**) 01-31-2010, 10:20 PM

Hey Guys!

Well, I went back into the LRS today not looking specifically at dart frogs like usual but admiring the geckos. They have about 25 different species in there so I pondered all of them for a couple hours. The one that particularly stood out was the flying gecko (Ptychozoon khuli). One plus is that it is probably the least expensive gecko in the store. That will help with start up costs for sure. After that the next stop was the hardware store. The dart frogs need a nice rack for their enclosures so creating a shelving system that could incorporate everything seems like the way to go. The decision is to go with those chrome looking wire shelving units that hold 350lbs each. For the frogs enclosures being able to adjust the shelve up and down will allow for lighting to hang above each tank. Any wiring can be run up a rear corner post and zip tied in place. Same for the gecko shelving. What most people seem to do is create an entire new rack for their juveniles. My idea is to build a rack that fits into the shelving unit. That way there is a place to mount heat tape, rheostats, gauges etc.

With all that said there is a lot to do and lay out. In between work, classes and the wife I will try to create a diagram/schematic for this. Don't worry guys, I have been keeping animals of all sorts for 25 years and this is the just next step for me...

cliff_f · #6 (**permalink**) 01-31-2010, 10:31 PM

Ptychozoon khulli is definitely a fun species. I would recommend them.

**Riverside Reptiles** · #7 (**permalink**) 02-01-2010, 10:25 AM

Ptychozoon khulli are very cool and not often bred. Good choice! They are also infamous for carrying parasites (mites in particular). If I was you, the first two things that I would do would be to take a fecal sample to the local vet to check for internal parasites. And take a magnifying glass and go over his whole body thoroughly and look for little dots, usually red, and pic them off with tweezers. It'll save you a lot of trouble down the road.

acpart · #8 (**permalink**) 02-01-2010, 07:52 PM

There is a nice article in the online gecko magazine Gecko Time about Ptychozoon khulli which includes mite removal and breeding. You'll find it here:Flying Geckos (Ptychozoon Kuhli): Care and Breeding | Gecko Time

Aliza

thercman · #9 (**permalink**) 02-02-2010, 12:02 AM

Great advice Ethan!
Thanks for the link Aliza!

I am also considering Gargoyle Geckos. What draws me to them is their crocodile like appearance. Very cool!

The little bit I have read talks about them being a little bit harder to breed than others but that's okay with me.

thercman · #10 (**permalink**) 02-07-2010, 10:21 PM

Hey Guys!

I am also looking at crested geckos as a good choice for breeding. Any thoughts?