[pakinjak]

Even though it's in the off season on the island, I placed a lay box in with my new WC females just in case they might be gravid. A week or two ago I thought I noticed the henkeli looking pretty rotund, and that I could see eggs in in her. I didn't want to get my hopes up, but when I saw her under the leaves late at night it got me excited. Well, here's what I woke up to-

Uroplatus :: first henk eggs picture by pakinjak - Photobucket

I'd like to know if anybody else has had a summer import lay fertile eggs before, and how they turned out. Did they continue to lay... sperm retention is what I mean? How did they handle the laying, and how did the animal do the next breeding season?

[Hannibal]

Congrats!

[pakinjak]

Alright, so although no one has responded to the question burning in my brain, I have to ask again, and a little differently this time...

sperm retention in general with U. henkeli? The import I got in july laid a clutch of eggs, and unless I'm mistaken, is going to lay another. If she lays the next clutch and they are infertile, there's a question in my mind about throwing the male in for a couple of days. If she's gonna lay, then I'd rather them be fertile, but if henkeli have been known to experience sperm retention then I'd rather not put him with her so I'll know he's not the daddy-o. Any ideas?

[miguel camacho!]

I think we can say that sperm retention, in general, is fairly common in reptiles. My very first phantasticus I ever purchased laid eggs before I even got a male. It's too long ago to remember, but I believe I experienced the same with other species, including henkeli. While there are potential differences among species, larger differences probably exist between genera when it comes to reproductive traits. My guess is that if your female is due in a couple of days, if they are currently due as infertile, it's too late to fertilize this clutch. I'm pretty sure fertilization does not take place last-minute.

If your mentality is going to be "well, if she's going to lay eggs, might as well have them be fertile", you're going to be thinking the same thing roughly every 30 days. Henkeli, in general, are hearty breeders, though they should still not be pushed past the point they can no longer tolerate. After a few clutches, I used to separate females from all males until oviposition ceased (whether fertile or infertile), and allowing them a recovery period without access to males.

[jadrig]

The eggs looked fertile. Did you candle them...I have a pic in my profile of a candled egg and what to look for.

The males will try to mate with the female a night or two before she lays her clutch. They will be persistent and usually mate successfully with the female the night after they lay...and usually the night after that.
If she is laying 'good looking' eggs...see if they hatch or are fertile. There is a good possibility that it is from a different male...did the guy have other males? Or if he did not have them in his possession long, their is still a good chance of the father being different.

Henkels are good breeders...TOO good! It will be the death of the female eventually...
I think that you would be better off waiting to introduce them next season...
Breeding takes a lot out of the males as well...they have one priority when they are in their rut...they usually dont eat as much either. If they are isolated...they usually leave a lot of sperm castings on the glass.

[Elizabeth Freer]

Very interesting.

Good luck with these eggs, pakinjak!

[pakinjak]

Thanks for the responses everyone.

She rolled and buried the last clutch, something not common with infertile eggs. Yes, I candled them and and they look good to me, but this is my first time with Uro eggs so I'm second guessing myself because I really don't want to mess this up. I've checked Jadrig's picture, and my eggs look like that. The red halo is there. The eggs were laid off season for the island and she laid them about 6 weeks after I got her. Seems kindof a long time to be in between clutches to me. Those are the two reasons I'm questioning their fertility. I'm still a uro noob... all my animals are doing great, so I feel pretty confident in my husbandry, but I'm right at a year into keeping uros and this was the first clutch of uro eggs I've ever seen.

I don't think I'm going to introduce the male to her. When I sit back and think long term, leaving her alone is the best option. I'll let her do whatever she's going to do, cool them this winter and then introduce her boyfriend afterward.

[Jameson]

thats awesome. I hope they are both for you and the animals that could be.

[uroplatus99]

I have seen sperm retention with henkeli in the past... as well as phantasticus and guentheri. I am pretty sure it happens with all Uroplatus, but could be wrong here. I have gotten 4 clutches now from my guentheri, and the last laid was just a week ago. I don't think that its that much of the off season for laying, but maybe for the breeding part. I would almost bet you could see Uroplatus laying eggs close to year round, where the mating only happens in a season. This is just my take on this, as to past experience with numbers of clutches a female would produce.

I think that the key is keeping the calcium up in the female, and leave her be. Like Joe said... henkeli are good breeders... and will lay eggs to the death of themselves. So keep her fed, and pumped up with calcium. I was actually seeing calcium sack develop on my guentheri between clutches... but around 10 days before she would lay, you would see them start to shrink. When I saw the shrinking, I would then start watching her, and looking for the buldges. Then when I notice she doesn't have the egg buldges, I would go digging through the cage.

Incubate all the eggs you question. It doesn't hurt. A nice glued, yellowed mushy egg, won't be fertile... but ods are in your favour if she did roll them and bury them...

[sikorae]

Can't help with the questions I'm afraid - but congrats and good luck with eggs