Gecko noob found wild eggs

[Elizabeth Freer]

Wow Vancelot,

Speedy work :yahoo: ! Hope that you love them :banana: :cheer: :banana:

Have you access to crickets or dubia roaches to feed them? How big is the first one?

 

[Vancelot]

Second one hatched today! I hope at least a few more hatch.

They are probably an inch or less in length.
I think I can get crickets at the pet store, but they will need to be pretty small for these guys to eat.
Will they eat the dried meal worms that they sell at pet store?

 

[Palor]

They will not eat dried mealworms. Your going to need a fruit fly culture and to find a place you can but small phoenix worms at. Most places will sell the tiny crickets you will need, but this will get expensive fast.

Gratz in the babies.

 

[Riverside Reptiles]

You're likely going to need to order some feeders online. Go to kingsnake.com and then go to the "classifieds" section and find the "feeders" section. You'll find lots of people selling all kinds of feeders.

 

[Vancelot]

Aww, I remember visiting kingsnake.com when I had a ball python about 6 or 7 years ago. Good times...

I will see what they have to offer.

 

[Vancelot]

Moved the 2 that hatched to a larger enclosure. 10 gallon aquarium. They seem to be happier in there.

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

Paper towel substrate recommended for hatchlings

Vancelot ~

So I guess these guys are somewhat over 1 inch if you include their tails?

Often gecko breeders raise hatchlings on a paper towel substrate maybe even up to the first year. The primary reason as I see it is that in a bark substrate crickets can easily hide outsmarting your geckos! On sand the issues are worse. (Hate to say this, but sand CAN lead to impaction. See GU sticky under Leopard Gecko Substrate.)

One solution I've discovered is to place the crickets in a tall, say 16 oz, clear glass or plastic container. The calcium powder stays on a bit better and the geckos will climb into that container for their food.

By the way, get some Rep-Cal Ultrafine Phosphorous-free Calcium with D3 for dusting their prey. Be on the lookout as they grow for signs of aggression. Only keep one male in each tank.

 

[Vancelot]

Yes, the are about an inch or so long.
Thanks for the advice. Next question; how to tell the sex of the gecko. I will need to do some research.

 

[Vancelot]

Went to petsmart and bought the first feed of some pinhead crickets. Got enough to feed them 2 or 3 each. Dusted them with Rep-Cal Calcium with VIT.D first.
It was fun to watch them gobble them up!
Should I add any other supplements? How often should I feed these young ones?

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

Hi Vancelot ~

Has #3 hatched yet?

You should probably feed them daily. Seems like they might even eat 2 wo crickets at this time.

Maybe for their first year you should dust their prey at just about every feeding with the pink label Rep-Cal Calcium with D3. Maybe someone else has some specific feedback. I have not had these kind of geckos.

Rep-Cal has a vitamin mix (blue label) called Herptivite with Beta Carotene and no preformed vitamin A. Maybe I use Herptivite about twice a month...no more.

I have heard that some young geckos 3 months and younger should not get a vitamin mix.

Glad that you are enjoying your wee friends!

Best wishes :banana:

 

[Vancelot]

#3 hatched today!
I had to throw out a couple of eggs (2 fused to each other) because of mold forming on them.

Here is the new guy/gal:

 

[Palor]

They are so cool as babies, the striped tail is neat. We have so many around the house, they are like a wild pet

 

[Vancelot]

#4 today!
There are 7 more unhatched eggs. I wonder how many more will make it?

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

Hey ~

You are on a roll! I predict 6 more anyway. You're getting lots of experience being a gecko dad :yahoo:

 

[Curious Critter]

Me too, Vancelot!

I'm brand new to this site, so, howdy and thanks for all the really cool input from some obviously cool people!

I hope I haven't already doomed them by my ignorance but I found the same type of Gecko eggs while doing a remodel job. I was able to rescue a few of them but had no idea how to care for them until they hatch. Right now they are laying on a napkin in my garage in central Texas. Some of the eggs appear to be visibly non-viable but I don't want to throw them out until I know for sure. This thread has helped me immeasurably. I will mark the eggs that appear to be developing with a pencil so that they stay right side up and transfer them to a proper environment for further incubation.

If they hatch succesfully, I will post pics. Thanks again, y'all!

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

Hi Curious Critter ~

Welcome! Be sure to keep us posted. Pictures are always a plus.

 

[Vancelot]

Well #5 hatched today, but didn't make it. Apparently he could not get out of the water dish and drowned.

I am only keeping a small amount of water in the dish now.

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

May she R.I.P.

Vancelot ~

So sorry to hear/see this. You have had such good luck with all your eggs so far.

You could also place a medium-sized rock near the edge of your water dish close to the side to give your geckos a stepstool!

 

[Vancelot]

Update:
#6 hatched 8/29
#7 hatched 8/31
#8 & 9 hatched today 9/8

Only 2 eggs left unhatched.

Here is a pic of the latest 2:

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

Hey Vancelot ~

Congratulations x 9! Here's cheering for 10 and 11! :cheer: :cheer:

You've done a super job hatching these critters! Are you getting to feel like a dad by now? :yahoo: