P. klemmeri guarding eggs

[Joe Farah]

I don't know if anyone has witnessed this with their klemmeri or any other Phelsuma, but one of my adult females was guarding her eggs.

Basically, I got home from work and found one of my females had laid in the bamboo in a very obvious spot. I noticed she was hanging out on the bamboo near the eggs, but didn't think anything of it until I tried to move her so I could get to the eggs. I first just tried to wave her away with my hands, but she stood her ground, barely flinching. Then I grabbed a little bamboo cooking skewer and tried to gently nudge her off the bamboo and away from the eggs, but she just kept biting it and wouldn't move.

So at this point I'm thinking she's hungry, because usually I feed them dabs of baby food from the ends of these skewers and so shes biting at it hoping for some food - it never occured to me she would be defending her eggs, because I've never seen it or even read about it before.

Thinking she's hungry, I tried offering her little crickets with forecepts, but she tore 3 in a row out of the forecepts, crushed them once or twice in her jaws to kill them, and then with a flick of her head threw them across the enclosure - on purpose. 3 in a row, same exact thing. I've never seen this. Then she was biting the forcepts if I held them near her.

This girl was guarding her clutch. I've never observed this with any of my Phelsuma before and I've never read it or heard about it either, so if anyone of you guys has seen this I'd like to hear about it.

 

[Sgvreptiles]

Nice joe,
Ive noticed some agression and gaurding in my grandis.Female wont move and ill go to get em out and shell get down their right by my hand and start shakeing.

pretty interesting

 

[Joe Farah]

No shit! I figured it must not be too uncommon. I can't believe I don't remember reading about it anywhere... and that I've never seen it before tonight. This was a real-deal case of it though. It was funny to see this little gecko getting all tough with me.

 

[Sgvreptiles]

Im sure its not uncommen,But i dont think its as big of a thing like with R.chahoua females.Were they will lunge at you mouth open.But i notice alot of female guard their eggs.

 

[Joe Farah]

I mean, I've seen it to a slight degree with my grandis before, but nothing like this. This female was biting the shit out of anything that came near the eggs. I put a little cricket in between her and the eggs and she killed it then dropped it to the ground. It was really a dramatic show she put on.

 

[Haroldo]

Thanks for sharing and photographing this occurence. I have not witnessed this type of behavior with any of my phelsuma. Interesting to say the least...

 

[Palex134]

congrats on a nice clutch!

Nice discovery as well, very unique. Looks like you have good mothering genes in that clutch of eggs.

 

[Joe Farah]

Thanks a lot Peter!

 

[Lisa0216]

I have a nesting box for my female standing's and after she lays eggs, her and her male take turns hanging out by it. I go in after the eggs after they retire for sleep in their log. They don't leave it alone for the first day at least, don't know about after that though, b/c I take the eggs out. Never noticed any aggression though, but I never bothered them either. Its up high, so crickets don't bother it.