G. vittatus eating her own egg?

Morke · #1 11-24-2011, 11:03 AM

Hello there. I have 4 G. vittatus (for about a year now) and today I saw the strangest thing. One of the young females laid a strange shaped egg. The moment she did so, she turned back and eat the thing before I could blink.

Is that normal?
I feed them every other day with roaches and crickets, both calcium sprayed before.

Also, what it's a good vivarium size for 4 G. vittatus?

Thank you.

Ingo · #2 11-24-2011, 01:14 PM

Thats normal for first clutches and non fertilized eggs.

Ingo

**Riverside Reptiles** · #3 11-24-2011, 01:55 PM

I agree with Ingo. It's not unusual for many species of geckos to eat eggs that are not fertile. You said that it was oddly shaped, that in itself is a sign that it was likely no good.

4 vittatus in one enclosure should have quite a lot of space. You'll likely need to custom build something if you want something that is truly appropriate.

Morke · #4 11-24-2011, 04:53 PM

That's my plan. Im going to buy the wood to make a custom vivaria, but I need data about the size

maybe 60 x 60 x 60 cm?

thats 24 x 24 x24 inches

**Riverside Reptiles** · #5 11-24-2011, 05:44 PM

The bigger the better with that many in one space. I think I'd go with 36 inches tall considering that they're a large arboreal special.

Tokayy · #6 11-25-2011, 10:23 AM

The Tokay could have eaten her eggs for many reasons. One reason is that she does not have enough calcium and ate the eggs for an increase in her calcium levels. The second reason could be that the eggs were duds in that they would not harvest babies. So the females eats the eggs for nutritional value as well as to remove the unwanted eggs that will not produce for her.

If it is in fact reason number 1 that I listed why your gecko ate her eggs, due to lack of calcium, you may want to dust your crickets a little bit more. I like to give my females extra calcium per se before I begin to breed to ensure that they have the proper calcium levels so that eggs are proper and not duds as well as to provide the proper calcium so she doesn't eat her eggs. Even if the eggs are healthy, the female may still eat them due to a lack of nutrition that they are getting, in which the eggs can provide.