[hexentanz]

Recently I got a good look at the belly of my P. klemmeri and was happily delighted to see she is gravid again. There was with 100% positivity two eggs developing inside of her when I got a look at her belly. Last night I got another look at her as her belly is becoming more rounded and noticed that the two eggs are now one?

In the past when she carried only one egg it was towards the middle of her belly. This one is at the side and slightly larger than normal.

Anyone else notice such a thing with their females? Should I be worried?

Yesterday she did take a spill off the ceiling of the tank, could it be she just miscarried one of the eggs? I looked around this morning and found no evidence of any premature egg being laid and she has never eaten a bad egg.

[Gecko Ranch]

Hard to say Maureen, it could be they moved and fat is covering up the gap, or, one or both popped! Time will tell. Nothing you can do except keep a close eye on her. Hope she is fine!

[hexentanz]

Thank you for your help Julie!

This morning I observed the female looking rather flat. After misting their enclosure I went to check her egg laying spot. Unfortunately as I was moving the bamboo the egg rolled out and fell on to the substrate (a mix of bark chips and humus). Hopefully it will be okay from this..., but i am sure it should be as I have had eggs fall from higher locations before but there was always another egg there to break the fall... (not so lucky for the other egg that took the impact though) so maybe not. Time will tell. It is indeed a single egg...and there is something pink inside. I would love to know what happened to the other one still.... Unknown mysteries!

[terradas]

Glad to hear you have at least the one egg! My female grandis just laid a soft dud, ate it, then laid a good egg in her usual spot. It could have happened with your klemmeri, although I have no idea how common 1-egg clutches are.

[daggekko]

I have a wc P laticauda that lays a 1 egg clutch almost every other clutch. So it seems anyhow. No telling how old she is either. Maybe could it be an age thing?

[Gecko Ranch]

Possible. I test mine to see if they are getting enough calcium - it is an easy test. Just put some egg shells in there with the female who laid these eggs. If she eats her own egg shells, then you need to look at increasing the calcium intake either orally, I use Repashy SuperCalHyd mixed with SuperVite multivitamin, and/or some kind of improved full-spectrum lighting.

[hexentanz]

Originally Posted by Gecko Ranch

Possible. I test mine to see if they are getting enough calcium - it is an easy test. Just put some egg shells in there with the female who laid these eggs. If she eats her own egg shells, then you need to look at increasing the calcium intake either orally, I use Repashy SuperCalHyd mixed with SuperVite multivitamin, and/or some kind of improved full-spectrum lighting.

How accurate is this test?

I know of a few people whose geckos will happily take any eggshells that are given to them in addition to being offered crushed up cuttlefish bone, going outside in summer, being under UVB lamps, using the top calcium and appropriate vitamins for dusting prey, etc.

Do all of these geckos maybe suffer from an absorption issue?

I know when a female lays it takes up a lot of energy and calcium reserve. Which is usually when they will most happily take any extra source of calcium they can find or are offered.

Was this test done directly after laying or at another time?

[Elizabeth Freer]

just checking in.......

[Gecko Ranch]

Originally Posted by hexentanz

How accurate is this test?

I know of a few people whose geckos will happily take any eggshells that are given to them in addition to being offered crushed up cuttlefish bone, going outside in summer, being under UVB lamps, using the top calcium and appropriate vitamins for dusting prey, etc.

Do all of these geckos maybe suffer from an absorption issue?

I know when a female lays it takes up a lot of energy and calcium reserve. Which is usually when they will most happily take any extra source of calcium they can find or are offered.

Was this test done directly after laying or at another time?

Yep! Right after laying, with her own eggs. If the female is in good shape, she won't take 'em. I have about 50 breeding Phelsuma of many different species...have done this for many years.

The supplementation system I am using now developed by Allen Repashy, which includes Calcium Plus (all in one supplement, multivitamin included) and the custom supplements you can tailor the gecko's calcium intake with (like SuperCal HyD), does not need any extra calcium presented such as egg-shells or leaving it in a dish. Getting it supplemented on crickets or other insect feeders is fine, and it is also in the Day Gecko MRP recently developed for them (I found the flavor combo of fig and cherry used for it). That in combination with different versions of full-spectrum lighting as needed for certain species of Phelsuma.

Not all Phelsuma need the "real deal" full-spectrums, many do fine with a T8 flourescent and incandescent lighting for a heat/basking source.

Yes, I believe some have an absorption issue due to some species limited ability to absorb oral calcium (talk about in another thread in this section) -http://www.geckosunlimited.com/community/day-geckos-phelsuma/58131-grandis-calcium-sacs.html

Females are not a static system with all the calcium they use for egg-laying, so sometimes the calcium level needs to change to accommodate the female's changing needs for calcium. If she has had a long and productive breeding season she has used a lot of calcium and may need some more to insure she has enough for herself and future eggs. You can also check this by her eggs, are they well formed? Are they all hatching? Are the young vital and active, or do they experience shakes from calcium tetany? Do females appear gravid then don't lay the eggs (because they have been reabsorbed due to their own calcium deficiency)?

For most of my Phelsuma breeders I use the SuperCalHyD (properly mixed with the same multivitamin in Calcium Plus, SuperVite), which has higher D3, to increase the calcium level, during the breeding season. In the "off season," I use Calcium Plus as it has lower D3. Right before breeding season it is back to SuperCalHyD again.

Cuttle fish bone should not be used, a UC Davis veterinarian school told me many years ago, as it is made from cuttlefish and there are some toxins associated with it from being an ocean organism. It has been so long I don't remember, I can find out if you would like.

Hope this helps!

[hexentanz]

Originally Posted by Gecko Ranch

Yep! Right after laying, with her own eggs. If the female is in good shape, she won't take 'em. I have about 50 breeding Phelsuma of many different species...have done this for many years.

The supplementation system I am using now developed by Allen Repashy, which includes Calcium Plus (all in one supplement, multivitamin included) and the custom supplements you can tailor the gecko's calcium intake with (like SuperCal HyD), does not need any extra calcium presented such as egg-shells or leaving it in a dish. Getting it supplemented on crickets or other insect feeders is fine, and it is also in the Day Gecko MRP recently developed for them (I found the flavor combo of fig and cherry used for it). That in combination with different versions of full-spectrum lighting as needed for certain species of Phelsuma.

Not all Phelsuma need the "real deal" full-spectrums, many do fine with a T8 flourescent and incandescent lighting for a heat/basking source.

Yes, I believe some have an absorption issue due to some species limited ability to absorb oral calcium (talk about in another thread in this section) -http://www.geckosunlimited.com/community/day-geckos-phelsuma/58131-grandis-calcium-sacs.html

Females are not a static system with all the calcium they use for egg-laying, so sometimes the calcium level needs to change to accommodate the female's changing needs for calcium. If she has had a long and productive breeding season she has used a lot of calcium and may need some more to insure she has enough for herself and future eggs. You can also check this by her eggs, are they well formed? Are they all hatching? Are the young vital and active, or do they experience shakes from calcium tetany? Do females appear gravid then don't lay the eggs (because they have been reabsorbed due to their own calcium deficiency)?

For most of my Phelsuma breeders I use the SuperCalHyD (properly mixed with the same multivitamin in Calcium Plus, SuperVite), which has higher D3, to increase the calcium level, during the breeding season. In the "off season," I use Calcium Plus as it has lower D3. Right before breeding season it is back to SuperCalHyD again.

Cuttle fish bone should not be used, a UC Davis veterinarian school told me many years ago, as it is made from cuttlefish and there are some toxins associated with it from being an ocean organism. It has been so long I don't remember, I can find out if you would like.

Hope this helps!

Makes sense! Am putting this in my files.

If you can find out the thing about cuttlefish that would be great!

Opps.... I wanted to add.. thankfully understanding the above, my klemmeri would not be one who suffers from calcium issues. Though the above does tell me, I need to better the calcium for my female L. kimhowelli's as they are often found munching on eggshells after laying. I think I will pickup the above product from Repashy on the next Hamm for these ladies, as they have had quite a busy season.