Is my gold dust gravid?

[Emily]

A little backstory: Bunbun came to live with me about 3 weeks ago. I had received a call from my chiropractor, who said he had shipped some stuff to himself up from Hawaii, and when the package arrived (3 weeks in transit) he opened it, and a little gecko jumped out! He didn't know what it was or what to do with it, so he called me. Bunbun looked fantastic for having spent 3 weeks in a container with no food or water. She now lives in a 12x12x18 planted Exo Terra viv, and eats her crickets, roach nymphs and crested gecko diet with gusto.

Last night she was clinging to the glass on the front of the viv, and I noticed these round white shapes in her belly. Eggs?! I had been commenting to my friend literally the day before that I was wondering if Bunbun might be gravid. She's remarkably fat for a gecko who went so long with no food. I later noticed her hanging upside down from the screen top, and there were very obvious bumps where these shapes are.

So, from the pics below, can you tell if those are: eggs, fat deposits, tumors, alien spawn?

 

[clint545]

Yes, she is Gravid, keep an eye around the plants for the next while

 

[Emily]

Excellent! I called a friend last night who read me info out of "Day Geckos in Captivity" (I really need to get a copy!) I've placed 2 lengths of hollow bamboo in her cage in anticipation...I should've planted a snake plant in there, but didn't have any @ the time.

When she does lay, I read in another thread that since they are non-gluers, I can just mark the tops of them w/ a sharpie and then carefully roll them out of the bamboo, yes? I've got a friend who breeds cresties and African fat tails who is going to help me get set up with incubation tools. How soon after she lays would I be able to candle the eggs to see if they are viable?

 

[Greatwun]

congrats, looks like shes having twins.

 

[@marko@]

i dont reccomend candling.
the eggs are very, very, VERY fragile. they can break when u are just trying to get them out of a crevice in the tank, so i dont reccomend picking them up regularly to candle.

 

[hexentanz]

i dont reccomend candling.
the eggs are very, very, VERY fragile. they can break when u are just trying to get them out of a crevice in the tank, so i dont reccomend picking them up regularly to candle.

You can candle eggs perfectly fine without having to pick them up.

 

[Emily]

You can candle eggs perfectly fine without having to pick them up.

I was planning on just pointing a mini maglite (flashlight) at the eggs while they were sitting in the vermiculite...provided I can get them *in* vermiculite. She's taken a liking to a branch crook that's got holes in it. If she lays in there, I'm going to end up incubating the whole darn branch! ;-)

How long is their gestation period? She's been with me for 3 weeks, eating dusted crickets and roach nymphs, and crested gecko diet. I'm wondering what the probability is that these eggs will be viable.

 

[hexentanz]

I was planning on just pointing a mini maglite (flashlight) at the eggs while they were sitting in the vermiculite...provided I can get them *in* vermiculite. She's taken a liking to a branch crook that's got holes in it. If she lays in there, I'm going to end up incubating the whole darn branch! ;-)

How long is their gestation period? She's been with me for 3 weeks, eating dusted crickets and roach nymphs, and crested gecko diet. I'm wondering what the probability is that these eggs will be viable.

According to the book I have the gold dust and klemmeri lay at the same intervals (however the gold dusts eventually take a 2 month break at some point). So it should also be about 28-30 days until they lay eggs.

Judging how yours looks, it should be any day now, especially since you say you can see bumps from the underside. That is usually the sign mine will pop any day.

 

[zohariels]

Wow, congrats, you're very lucky! Poor girl, sounds like she's had quite the adventure, and what a survivor! Hope she does well.

 

[Emily]

Well, she has yet to pop these eggs out yet. That makes me more confident that she became gravid after coming into my care...which increases the chance of viable eggies! She is *so* fat now. I am guessing that she will lay any day. The incubator has been set @ 82 degrees F and 60% humidity for a week now, so I'm totally ready for her! She just needs to drop those eggs!

 

[Plits]

I'm happy for you, good luck.