[crestedtimm]

Ok, so I have gotten good eggs from my group (2.1) a few years in a row, but never subsequent clutches to hatch. They have been housed together year around for the entire duration. Supposedly they were born in '04, so maybe my female is getting old.


They were cooled this winter, with some nights getting down to high 40s-50s, and the day temps up to perhaps 70 or so. Now it is getting up to the mid 80s during the day here in central fla, and they are cycling with the natural fluctuations.

Had a beautiful clutch layed approx 70 day ago, and another layed the same date a month later. So now I have 4 eggs cooking.


So, my actual question is : Do you succesful guentheri breeders separate your pairs in the off season and reintroduce? Something tells me that pulling the males out and reintroducing in a few weeks may illicit a response.

The few factors that will have to be independently addressed are:
1) One male may be impotent (poor guy..)
2)My girl may be getting old


Im glad that someone posted an incubation time/temp post a few lines down, reminded me these eggs may go 100+ days.

Some feedback would be neat, I never can know enough about these guys!

Timm Smith

[Jody Ettema]

Hello Tim,

I have been keeping and breeding them as well for a few years and I have never seperated them (3.2). It is an active group, with females laying eggs every 4 weeks. I have had a few dudds and a few young died (about 10 percent), but everything is going well and each animal looks in good condition. They are housed in a 50x60x120cm enclosure. It could well be that there is competition and selection among the group, but I have never experimented with that. Sometimes they have some argumenting with soms stress calls, but no physical problems. There are about 15 to 20 eggs per female a year and young are raised in small containers, with eggs incubating around 24 degr Celsius. Incubation times can reach over 100 days with no problem at low temperatures. I have had it with U. henkeli, where young hatched after 120 days.. shouldn't be a problem.
Feeding your guentheri's regularly (every other day) will keep them active. Keep an eye on the females. I hand feed them when I get the chance to make sure they will receive there insects. One female is from 2005 and the other from 2006, and I don't think it should be of a problem that your female is 5 years old. I keep temperatures up to 29 to 30 degrees Celsius in the enclosure in the top and each animal is occasionally basking under the lamps, where you can imagine that the temps are much higher. I have got the idea, that misting more regularly at the end of the winter makes them more active and could be a factor that stimulates breeding. I don't how others are experiencing this.

Good luck anyway!

jody

[crestedtimm]

Thank you Jody!

I used to always have a feeding cup full of roaches in the cage, but have been lax on that lately, as I crippled my red-runners and have to let them regain their numbers. I do hand feed frequently though and they are by no means going without! I would likely get better/longer breeding season if I were contained within a building manipulating the temps, but alas, I am at the mercy of the seasons for now..

I obtained my adults as two year old and have had them home for about 6 months, and feel like they are settled, but I must say that 20 eggs a year is amazing! I realize that you must have them inside under optimun temps, but for how many months do you receive eggs? 10? (obiviously, simple math..)

I do expose my group to UV via a 5.0 C.F., and they have a normal CF basking lamp that they utilize, so I understand their appreciation of a basking spot.

My female was 12.6 grams before egg deposition first cluch of the year if that is any indication of her food intake. I would be interested in the weight of everyone elses females as a comparison too..

oh, and to address everyone who thinks that these are the "dull" leaftail (What my employer called them one day when I was singing their praises) and speak of hand feeding. The fact that my animals are so calm and easy to deal with, coupled with the fact that they are still challenging me when it comes to consistent breeding is only one factor that makes me love them.


The others? Guess you will have to get some and find out....

Timm

[Jody Ettema]

Yes, every 3 to 4 weeks they are getting eggs with a pause of 2 to 3 months in the winter. I don't give them any UV, but do make sure they are offered a good daylight lamp, which I do with almost every species of gecko I keep.