Help Me Please - First Eggs!

[lifeshighways]

Okay as you all know I have a slight addiction to leos.. right now I currently own 21 leos... I have 5 males and 16 females.. My youngest was born on 4/20/2008 and my oldest is about 5 years old.

I bought Loki (pictured below the tangie with a few spots and a lil bit of a carrot tail) on May 18th. She was very tiny - MOUTHY and the guess was she was about 2 mths old.. which would make her SIX MTHS OLD!!!! Loki is at best 47grams

She is housed with 5 other females and my Baby Mac (also pictured below, but if you've ever talked to me you know about Mr Mac Man! We dont know his exact age either but we think he was born on or around 11/07 maybe early 12/07) which means he is at the VERY BEST 10 mths old...Mac is 58grams

I kept them together because the whole house of leos were LESS THAN A YEAR OLD - I never even thought for one second I would have "teenage pregnancies"

I found loki the other day, laying her FAT belly FLAT on the warmest rock... then I picked her up and OMG her tummy was so fat, and I could have SWORN I saw eggs.. but again - she's 6 freaking mths old I said "no way" she's just eating alot these days.. I teased her about getting fat... but blew it off since again... SHE'S ONLY 6 MTHS OLD!

Sunday Morning I went in to spray down everyone's hides and opened the "cool whip container".. inside are 4 of my 5 females.. Loki is on bottom... Vendetta my youngest is right beside her with her arm on Loki's back... I shew them all out except Loki who appears to not be able to move... then I see a movement under her and then she bolts out like lightening... what is left in the hide is TWO EGGS!!!!!!!!

have I mentioned NOONE IN THIS CAGE IS EVEN 1 YEAR OLD????

I put in vermiculite, spray it down good and move it closer to the heat.. the ambient room temp is 84 degrees the spot where this hide is about 82 and it NEVER falls below 78 in the room, the room also has a 60 to 70% humidity at all times.... I just put the lid back on and went back to find that Ms Loki has now gathered up all the sand in their "play area" and pushed it into the hide.. I watched as two of the other females helped her... I went back in to check on them that night.. Loki and Vendetta (the youngest girl) are in the hide together each ontop of an egg.. like a HEN!
One female is laying in front of the entrance to the hide "guarding" when I reached for the lid she perked up and gapped her mouth at me....shewing her away I open the lid.. both Loki and Vendetta are on all fours in the "defence" posture....

I candeled the eggs - hours after being laid - they throw a yellow glow..
How long before I give up and admit they are infertile?

My Loki is eating like a PIG.. 12 mealies and 5 LARGE crickets...she keeps lapping at the calcium and acting like she knows what she's doing.. her belly is already getting fat again.....


My questions are:
How the hell did my 6 mth old female and my less than 1 year old male make eggs?
Any chance at all they are fertile?
What's up with the other females "playing guard dogs"
The eggs stuck to the bottom of the coolwhip dish.. so I just put the vermiculite all around them - I didn't want to rip the egg open trying to get them out to move them....Is it okay just to leave them there?
How long before I should consider them infertile and give up and take them out? In other words when does "candeling" show fertile? is it immediate? or take a few weeks?


I know lots of questions - if any of you people that lubs me so much would just email me (lifeshighways@gmail.com) and tell me what to do I would be so greatful...

My first ever eggies.. I was like a proud grandmother - you guys shoulda seen me...

Now, baby mac will not come anywhere near the girls hide.. he is actually being pretty skittish.. do you think he knows he's a daddy? I mean what kind of social structure do they have?

How the hell did my 6 mth old leo make eggs?????

 

[Riverside Reptiles]

Just like a human might breed earlier than they should, so will geckos. Males can breed very young. If you keep a male with females that are old enough to ovulate, you're going to get eggs. Lucky for you that she's over 40 grams. I've seen 20 gram females end up gravid and then become egg bound because they're to small. That being said, congrats on your first eggs. You need to get them out of the enclosure though. They will be destroyed if left in there. Don't be surprised if they aren't fertile considering it's her first clutch. But, you should treat them as if they are fertile until you know for certain that they aren't. They'll mold up pretty quickly if they're no good. Here's detailed instructions on how to incubate properly:
Albey's How To Incubate Leopard Gecko Eggs

Good luck with the eggs! And I'd suggest taking the male out if you don't want more eggs in the near future.

 

[lifeshighways]

Thanks Ethan.. I'll take them out tonight...

I wanted eggs but I thought I had til Spring to get ready for them.. never thought my lil "teenagers" would get the "urge" so early...

Just a few quick questions please:

1. why are the other females being so protective
2. how long before the candeling would be considered trust worthy?
3. what do I do about them being stuck to the bottom of the dish?

 

[Kazska]

Wow congrats! I have heard that females can lay eggs without intercourse with a male though. Of course if that was the case they would be infertile. I don't know how, I was just told this a while ago when I found my Leeloo getting fat, lol. Turns out she WAS just just fat! Anyhoo might want to consider it a possibility? Prob isn't that but I just thought I'd get it out there

xxxXXX

 

[Kelentari]

I have heard that females can lay eggs without intercourse with a male though.
xxxXXX

Aye, I've heard that, too. Weird, eh? Anyway, good luck with your little white treasures, grandma! ;-)

 

[Riverside Reptiles]

Yes, females can lay eggs without a male (just like chickens do). But the fact that there's a male in the enclosure with her makes it much more likely that he's been having a little fun.

 

[lifeshighways]

Yes, females can lay eggs without a male (just like chickens do). But the fact that there's a male in the enclosure with her makes it much more likely that he's been having a little fun.

About 4 weeks ago (maybe just 3) Loki (my wee girl) had this weird crick in her neck - remember I posted about it here... I cant help but wonder if maybe he was a bit "rough" when he was "having that fun"

i bet the reason she was so hard to handle and limping around was he "roughed her up"... I'm thinking Mr Mac might have to be "quarentined" until he learns to control these lil urges *LOL*

 

[Riverside Reptiles]

That certainly would make sense. Males can be quite rough (especially on the head/neck areas). I keep my males separate until I'm ready for the breeding to actually happen. Then I rotate females in with the male. Actually, these days I keep even the females separated from each other as I find they just do better over all if housed individually.

 

[Kazska]

About 4 weeks ago (maybe just 3) Loki (my wee girl) had this weird crick in her neck - remember I posted about it here... I cant help but wonder if maybe he was a bit "rough" when he was "having that fun"

i bet the reason she was so hard to handle and limping around was he "roughed her up"... I'm thinking Mr Mac might have to be "quarentined" until he learns to control these lil urges *LOL*

lol naughty Mr Mac! :lol:

xxxXXX

 

[Kazska]

Yes, females can lay eggs without a male (just like chickens do). But the fact that there's a male in the enclosure with her makes it much more likely that he's been having a little fun.

Yeah I know, I just wanted to get that bit of info out there :roll:

xxxXXX

 

[leogirl16]

all geckos are different, thus may get sexually mature faster than others, it also depends on temps, temps can tell whos sexually mature before others. my female carrot-tail was 7months when she started laying eggs, that was accidental.

 

[lifeshighways]

Status update:

Eggs are growing in size, but turning brown.
Temps are at 84
Humidity 87%
Soft in texture

Please provide your feedback on:
The color of the eggs
Does the egg on the right look fertile?

 

[JennaYoung99]

i never worry to much about candling. i just leave em in until they hatch or go flat. if they are flat they aren't fertileand most of the time they mold.