Please HELP!!! Female Crested gecko. She might be pregnant!

[Matt L.]

Hi. I bought 2 Crested Geckos last Friday, the 13th (creepy coincidence). They're almost 1yr old in an 18x18x24 Zoo Med terrarium. One is a male and one is a tailless female. I'm using Sphagnum moss, I have 3 hanging artificial plants, two pieces of wood, and a bark/cork board background. I feed them about 7 crickets each (with the vitamin dust) every other day and the Crested Gecko Diet twice a week.
Ok now that all that explaining is done, one night I woke up and saw the female ontop of the male. When I turned the lights on in my room, one of his hemipenis's was out so I wasn't sure if they did mate or not. Starting yesterday night my female has been hiding behind the cork board background and hasn't really come out. I was worried that something might be wrong with her or she could be pregnant. She's moving around so I now she's alive. All opinions would be really helpful. If she's pregnant though, do you think I would have to set up a box for her to lay her eggs in? Thanks!

 

[cacoonkitty]

dont panic!!!!...im sure she will be fine..keep feeding as normal provide plenty of calcium on there food items for her to make the egg shells with in her body and so she doesnt strip herself of calcium and vits ..make sure you provide a clean plastic tupaware tub filled up with slighly damp spagnum moss somethig the size so she can lay down in it ok,...i use the stuff that you re-hydrate with water for my crestys egg laying box and then i squeeze out as much water from it as i can leaving slightly damp moss, then fluff it up and put it into the tupaware tub a leave the tub in the viv, she will get plump eventualy after about 1 month from mating and when shes readly to lay she will start to roam around the viv and then start to dig looking for the right place to lay, dont disturb her, and she may even lay during the day too..once the eggs have been layed gently search through the moss (or the place she has dug..you will know where as the dirt will be all churned up) when you have found the normaly 1-2 eggs gently place them into a clean plastic tupaware tub filled up with slightly damp vermicuite(make sure its not wet as this will spoil the eggs just damp ), dont twist or turn the eggs when you pick them up( gently) try to put them into the vermiculite in the same position as you found them in,make a little hole for the eggs and once they are in it then gently push up the vermiculite up so its just surrounding the eggs but leave the top in the open to the air . place the lid back on firmaly and then put them into a warm place like inside the viv ,dont fiddle with the eggs, just open the tub every few days for a few seconds for an air exchange and then put the lid back on, i never spry mine, there will be slight condenation under the tub inside and this is enough humidiy , and 62-70 days later you should have some babsy readly to hatch,keep checking every day when it come sot this time and when you see them starting let them hatch on there own ..dont pull them from there eggs ok they do take time but let them be. once fully out of the egg transport to a mini enclosure and feed them after 4 days small crickest the same as mum and dad..they will grow quickly and strta them on cresty diet when a few months old. hope this helps.:banana:

 

[Matt L.]

Thank you sooooooo much

 

[Matt L.]

How high do you think the sphagnum moss should go in the tupaware? I have mostly 2 inch deep tupaware stuff. Thanks.

 

[cacoonkitty]

your welcome...sorry about the spelling mistakes..i was typing quickly.. hope all geos well with your cresty breeding. finmgers crossed for you. x:biggrin:

 

[Matt L.]

lol thanks

 

[Spyral]

In addition to the advice above, I would recommend feeding CGD every other night and cut back on crickets to once a week. CGD is much more balanced than crickets, even dusted ones. It is designed for all life stages for geckos and should be the main source of food.

Good luck!

 

[Matt L.]

Thanks