Question about ovulating gecko

[AnthonyRenna]

Ok so i suspected my female leo was ovulating and a friend came over and confirmed this for me. I brought a fecal examine over to my vet (and personal friend) and they did a fecal float and smear the results came back negative for any sort of parasites. I'm just concerned because she has barely eaten in the last two weeks, I finally decided to get her a few wax worms and she gobbled them up. She has lost .1g in the 2 weeks so I think she is fine. When she goes to the bathroom she occasionally releases a puddle which I've been told is a sign of good hydration (she should be as she uses her water bowl her humid hide and eats plenty of silkworms).
My questions are as follows
1. How long do ovulating geckos go without eating
2. How long does ovulation last
3. Is it normal for an ovulating gecko to only eat certain food items

I'd post some pics of her to confirm ovulation but she gets really fidgety and I don't want to stress her worse than she already is.

Basic rundown of her husbandry
20 gallon long enclosure
Temps measured with probe and confirmed with a temp gun
cool side 79 hot side 93
humidity generally between 20 and 40 percent
3 hides 1 hot 1 cool 1 humid closer to the hot side
1 dish pure calcium
insects dubia roaches dusted with calcium w/d3 2x weekly with reptivite 1x biweekly, silkworms and phoenix worms dont get dusted since they have plenty of calcium
tank is cleaned every 7-10 days
a water bowl is provided and used
substrate is slate tile

 

[Marauderhex]

If you can look at her belly and see large pink spots, those are eggs. To answer your questions: 1. Females can go for several months without eating during the breeding season.
2. Physical ovulation or just going off food for the breeding season? If it's going off food, see #1. 3. Yes, females get very picky during mating season.

The husbandry sounds good, so it's probably just your girl going off food for the breeding season. Be sure to monitor her weight and if she is losing a lot of weight fast, it's time to see a vet.

 

[cricket4u]

Just my opinion and based on my experience. I normally do not like to reply to these questions because it's not as simple as telling someone, it's normal, they can go months without food. I believe that if you follow that rule, at some point you will end up with an unnecessary death. Just like in female humans there can be problems that need medical attention. This does not mean that everytime a female goes off food you need to run to the vet or panic.

I simply do not agree that everytime a female refuses to eat, we should assume that it's because she is ovulating or gravid. This is how problems go undiagnosed and in some cases a gecko is allowed to starve to death because people allow too much time to go by. Only you know your gecko and observation is the key. Yes, it's normal for them to lose their appetite or eat smaller amounts. However, I do not agree with loading up a gecko with tons of food and then allowed to go months without food.

In the wild fasting is a different story. Their bodies pretty much shut down. They are in constant cold temperatures unlike in captivity. Although there is several reasons geckos end up with hepatic lipidosis, I do believe this is a contributing factor. My opinion is based on necropsy reports. I will allow a gecko to eat smaller amounts here and there, but not stop eating completely for long periods of time. People have allowed a gecko to die under these conditions. If they would have provided support early on, the death could have been prevented.

It is always best to make sure there is not another reason. In your case I don't feel you need to worry much since you have have a fecal and your husbandry sounds good. I did want to mention that I do not allow the humidity to drop lower than 40. I know that you have read everywhere that they come from arid conditions, however they spend most of there time in burrows where the humidity is most likely higher. You will be surprised what a slight increase of humidity can change, especially if it's not winter time. Remember during very hot and dry periods they go off food, called estivation.

There is a change in the bacterial flora in the gut when a reptile stops eating. A big mistake is to administer liquid calcium without nutritional support. Calcium does not work alone. I mention this just incase someone gives that idea without true knowledge on how the body works.

 

[AnthonyRenna]

Thanks cricket, my humid hide stays between 60 and 80 percent but ill bring the tanks overall humidity up and see. I've offered food everyday but she's been eating every fifth day wont just ignore her lol.
and to confirm for the other poster I've had her checked and am 99% sure she is ovulating I hate making assumptions especially when it comes to caring for one of my animals

 

[Mardy]

My questions are as follows
1. How long do ovulating geckos go without eating
2. How long does ovulation last
3. Is it normal for an ovulating gecko to only eat certain food items

1. Can be days, weeks, or months. Longest I've had was 6 months. And yes she lost some weight, but once she started eating again, she gained them right back no problem.

2. It's going to happen throughout the breeding season. For leopard geckos in captivity in U.S., it normally starts from end of December until mid-summer. Their first ovulation can be anytime of the year, usually when they reach 8-10 months of age so it depends on when they were born. They go through cycles, there's no telling how often and how long each cycle last. It's different for each individual gecko.

3. Yup, believe it or not, they know what their body needs, and they know what their body can handle. When they ovulate, the egg follicles form in their belly right around where their stomach is. Depending on the location and whether they develop into bigger egg follicles or form into eggs, it can make them uncomfortable. This is likely what causes them to stop eating because they press against their stomach and intestinal tracts. Their body is very small, if you see the size of these eggs that they pump out, it would make you wonder how in the world they developed those eggs in their bodies and how they pushed them out....and often in 2's!

Not all female geckos get picky during ovulation however, some will still eat and feed like champs until just a few days before laying, others will stop eating completely, while many others will eat softer and fattier feeders because they lose weight and the fat reserve when they go on food strike. This cycle tends to scare first time leopard gecko owners or owners having females for the first time. It's a cycle that they go through every single year so you get used to it after the first time. And it's because you know what to expect, you realize it's OK for a female to feast like a cow during fall/winter months. They feast because they are anticipating for another ovulation season where they will go off food from time to time and lose some weight. This is why it's important to make sure they are well fed once they are out of the breeding season.

By the way, you don't have to guess or assume whether a leopard gecko is ovulating or not. It's visible, you can see it. So when in doubt, take a picture and people here can confirm it for you. You don't have to hold her and stress her out, just put her in a clear bin or glass jar, then raise it up and take a pic of her belly. Once you know what to look for, and are used to their behavior and cycles, you will know with ease the next time it happens and won't worry as much about it. This is also why people recommend first time owners to keep their geckos for at least a year before jumping into breeding, because there's much to learn about their behavior, cycles, and the lil things they do.

Hope this helps