Can it be done - Housing Phelsuma without a mate?

hexentanz · #1 09-21-2011, 04:30 AM

I really enjoy many of the different Phelsuma's there are and unfortunately due to lack of space (I do not like to give my Phelsuma anything smaller than a 50x50x70(or 80)cm tank) i cannot have more than two breeding pairs, especially since I am breeding other types of geckos in addition to the Phelsuma in a middle sized apartment. I have a spare tank setup which is really spacious and decided awhile ago that I would like to add to my collection another Phelsuma. I narrowed down the list to keeping a P. laticauda and found a woman close by who breeds them. My plan was to obtain only one and keep it by itself until I can someday have the room to purchase a mate and breed it.

Now this morning I am wondering if this is even possible?

My concern is that if I end up with a female in the end that she would have some sort of issues overtime when not being bred since any calcium she would store up for a breeding season would not be used and then replenished like with a normal female who would be bred.

colinmelsom · #2 09-21-2011, 06:24 AM

I wouldn`t worry about that.I have lone females that dont have excessive calcium sacs.
I would worry more that when you introduce her to the male some fighting will occur.

daggekko · #3 09-21-2011, 06:35 AM

Maureen, this would be completely possible! Regardless of the fact that she (if you end up with a girl) wouldn't be with a male she will still lay eggs! One of the things your going to end up with though would be a female with larger calcium sacs. I just placed a lone female P laticauda with a lone male. I have had her since February and she is VERY shy. I got both of the geckos seperately off of craigslist from people that didn't know what they were doing, and although I don't remember which one it was, but one was probably close to death when I got it. When I went to catch them both out to put them in their new enclosure together I found the female actually had really big sacs on her neck, compared to my other girls that have been breeding that don't have them so much anymore. I have found eggs in her enclosure before though.

What I personally would end up doing is after the gecko reaches 1 year old(if you know the age) is cut back calcium dusting to 1x week or maybe every 1.5 weeks. Just keep an eye on the size of the calcium sacs and adjust if you feel the need! I say wait about a year before cutting back because with smaller animals most of their rapid growth is done within the first year. They will continue to grow(I'm sure you've noticed this!!!) but so much more slowly that significant amounts of calcium won't be needed.

My young (under 6 month old at the time) P laticauda had these sacs fairly visible(but not huge) and right about 6 months I found a dud egg! They will eat the eggs and get a bit of the calcium back, so that is why I suggest cutting back on the calcium.

hexentanz · #4 09-21-2011, 07:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by daggekko

Maureen, this would be completely possible! Regardless of the fact that she (if you end up with a girl) wouldn't be with a male she will still lay eggs! One of the things your going to end up with though would be a female with larger calcium sacs. I just placed a lone female P laticauda with a lone male. I have had her since February and she is VERY shy. I got both of the geckos seperately off of craigslist from people that didn't know what they were doing, and although I don't remember which one it was, but one was probably close to death when I got it. When I went to catch them both out to put them in their new enclosure together I found the female actually had really big sacs on her neck, compared to my other girls that have been breeding that don't have them so much anymore. I have found eggs in her enclosure before though.

What I personally would end up doing is after the gecko reaches 1 year old(if you know the age) is cut back calcium dusting to 1x week or maybe every 1.5 weeks. Just keep an eye on the size of the calcium sacs and adjust if you feel the need! I say wait about a year before cutting back because with smaller animals most of their rapid growth is done within the first year. They will continue to grow(I'm sure you've noticed this!!!) but so much more slowly that significant amounts of calcium won't be needed.

My young (under 6 month old at the time) P laticauda had these sacs fairly visible(but not huge) and right about 6 months I found a dud egg! They will eat the eggs and get a bit of the calcium back, so that is why I suggest cutting back on the calcium.

Ah yeah I forgot about the dud eggs and lowering the calcium. See even I need a reminder of things sometimes?

daggekko · #5 09-21-2011, 07:34 AM

Hey, why don't you just get a pair?

Personally(knock on wood) my adult P laticauda never have fought. I just put the new pair together as well and haven't seen any issues. My original pair get along VERY well! Now I can say the babies start hating each other within a month or so, but this might be due to the small grow up tank size.

colinmelsom · #6 09-21-2011, 07:39 AM

Thats a good idea.a pair diesn`t really take up more space than a single specimen.You will have to give more visual barriers incase there are problems regarding food or bullying.

hexentanz · #7 09-21-2011, 10:12 AM

I cannot get a pair, because I do not have room for the babies.

There is 12 tanks designated as baby tanks for Phelsuma in this room. The majority are filled with P. nigristriata as those females sure do love to produce eggs! :/ All other baby tanks in the house are filled with Lygos and Sphaeros.

colinmelsom · #8 09-21-2011, 10:30 AM

Thats assuming they breed

hexentanz · #9 09-21-2011, 11:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by colinmelsom

Thats assuming they breed

Hahaha! I have geckos in this house that breed like crazy, when for others those types do not breed so well. As I once said to a friend "You put it in this house and it will breed!"

OMG! I am running a sex house for geckos!

colinmelsom · #10 09-21-2011, 11:43 AM

Well try some inexpexctata or cepediana next