[PlumedSerpent]

Hi all ... I'm excited to find that (probably) two of my P. rangei are gravid! I can see the eggs for sure through the sides on one female. The other is darker and I can't see distinct eggs, but she looks a bit "lumpy" like she has eggs inside too.

This has been a "dream species" for me, never thought I would find them, so I'm really nervous about taking care of the eggs the right way. I've put a small tray into the terrarium with some damp sphagnum moss and sand. It was dug in this morning, but no eggs yet. I also keep one corner of the tank just very slightly damp, so they can choose some moisture if they want it, but otherwise it's hot and dry.

When the eggs do appear, how should I incubate them? Should they be kept slightly damp, or quite dry? I've hatched snake eggs, but never been successful with desert lizards.

[Lordoftheswarms]

I don't have experience yet with P. rangei (unfortunately), but I am drawing on experience with other geckos and lizards.
I don't think you want the eggs to have direct contact with the moisture of the soil.
This could drown them, grow mold on them etc.

Have them in containers of sand in a container with a source of humidity, and prevent condensation from forming on the eggs.

Specifics of temperature and humidity, I do not have.

[PlumedSerpent]

Thanks for the reply, Lordoftheswarms!

Found two eggs this morning. She didn't lay in the damp tray of sand, but right next to it, so I assume she actually wanted to keep the eggs dry.

One egg is all cracked and chipping. I'm not throwing it out, but I don't see how it could be viable. The other is intact and looks good.

Someone told me once about hatching out Egyptian tortoise eggs - they kept the eggs themselves completely dry in sand, but in the surrounding container there was damp filter floss so there was some moisture in the air. Sounds like a technique to try....

[Lordoftheswarms]

Good luck. I envy you.

[PlumedSerpent]

Don't envy me until I have a successful hatch!

[gosaspursm]

Hi PlumedSerpent
I too am very jealous of your eggs. I picked up a couple of juvenile P. Rangeis about a year ago and am looking to breed in the coming months. I am fairly certain I have a male and a female as one has the infamous male "combs" and the other lacks them.
Any words of wisdom on getting them to breed (temp cycle, etc)? Thanks and good luck with the incubation.

[PlumedSerpent]

Originally Posted by gosaspursm

Any words of wisdom on getting them to breed (temp cycle, etc)?

You know, I think I just had beginner's luck. I bought them as juveniles, and turned out to have two females and a male. I set them up in a desert terrarium in my reptile room, which stays in the low-to-mid 80's, but I have an additional heat lamp on the tank so it's hotter than that in the daytime. It's off at night so the temperature goes down a bit, but never down to Namibia-at-night temperatures. I know it can get quite cold at night in the desert, but there's no way for me to duplicate that at home. I didn't try to do any seasonal variation, though it does get very dry in the reptile room in the Winter due to forced-air heat, and is more humid in the Summer simply because that's the climate I live in (Midwest). The heat lamp keeps the desert terrarium dry, though.

I feed them in the mornings when I come in to turn on the lights. All 3 geckos have learned to stay up late for their dinner, and afterward they go to bed for the day.

I did notice that my girl who laid eggs didn't want food yesterday. Unusual for her. That was probably my biggest clue that she was close to laying.

[Sebastian]

I incubate my rangei eggs on bone dry sand. Nearly 100% hatch success.

[gosaspursm]

Any advice on sexing these little guys? I have heard through the grapevine that males will possess "combs" on either side of the tail base near the cloacal opening. However I have yet to get an experienced rangei keeper to confirm or deny that. Any help would be much appreciated.

[Lordoftheswarms]

Originally Posted by Sebastian

I incubate my rangei eggs on bone dry sand. Nearly 100% hatch success.

No humidity at all?