Siblings mating??

[Izzy's Mom]

My first set of hatchlings are almost a month old now, and I will be going on vacation in about 3 weeks. A friend of mine is very interested in getting a crested gecko, and she has agreed to take both hatchlings just before I leave so I don't need to find someone to take care of them while I'm gone. She said she is fine keeping both of them, since she is buying a nice large tank.

My question is... if these two hatchlings end up being a male and a female, will they breed? And if they do - is that ok?? If not - what should I tell her to do with any eggs they lay? If they both turn out to be male, will they get along since they were raised together, or should I just make her return one of them to me if it turns out to be the wrong sex?

 

[skitzoxiii]

Regardless of what they grow up to be, they should be housed separately. Two males, even if raised together will most likely fight and seriously injure each other. Two females may get along, but must be watched closely for signs of fighting or bullying. And if they end up male and female, they will breed, which will cause a number of problems. For on siblings should not breed. Two breeding constantly is very stressful on the female. And three they will breed far before the females body is strong enough to handle producing eggs, and could cause a calcium crash, which will lead to serious health issues or even death. Best bet.... get another tank and have two setups A ten or fifteen gallon tank at a thrift store is cheap and a great solution.

 

[Izzy's Mom]

I was under the impression that it was ok to keep groups of females together. Don't some people have more than one female living together year-round? It seems like the geckos enjoy each other's company and that they would be lonely by themselves... or is that just me being sentimental?

 

[skitzoxiii]

Lol, lots of people do keep females together. It can be done, but they must be watched closely. Sometimes without warning even if they always have gotten along bullying can start. Also its best to track there weights on a weekly basis, to make sure one is not keeping the other from eating.

If they live alone, they wont get lonely, there naturally solitary animals, but females can live in pairs and sometimes trio's, as long as there monitored closely the owner knows they may need to separate them at any time.