Too old to breed?

Read some other threads about older geckos still producing eggs but still wanted to get insight into likelihood in my specific situation.

I have a 17yr old female who I have raised from a few days old, very chubby and robust.
I also have a very healthy 13yr old who I always thought was female, because there was an absence of visible bulges or distinct pores. They've always shared the same 40gallon set up. I know housing females together will garner mixed opinions, but I did it somewhat out of ignorance, somewhat out of necessity. When I acquired the younger one, I lived in an apt where the manager would only allow 1 tank of reptiles, and having never seen any aggression between the two I kept them housed together long term.

The 13yr old recently had a slight hemipene prolapse, at which point I realized "whoops...you've been a guy this whole time??" The vet was unable to get the prolapse to tuck back in, so they amputated it to ensure there would never be infection/necrosis. The gecko recovered excellently and has been eating like crazy ever since. The vet did agree that the subtlety of his pores and the head shape made them understand why I had mis-sexed him for so long.

In addition to eating like a pig, HE is also trying to mate with his female roommate for the first time ever. I swear, I had never seen this behavior once prior to the prolapse, but now it's almost like he's thinking "I've got one 'peen left, better use it or lose it!" I have not witnessed a successful coupling, but he's been quite determined. I've prepared a new terrarium to separate him out, now that I live in the house and have the leeway to do so.

I never intended to breed anyone, but now I can't help but be curious. What's the likelihood that two geckos of these ages could successfully produce? I will separate the male regardless to save the female from stress, but is it worth trying to do proper breeding sessions to see if eggs happen? Are there factors I can adjust to boost my chances? I have provided an egg laying box just in case, but so far I do not see indications she's gravid presently.
 

acpart

Active member
Some people will say never to house leopard geckos together because they may fight. I do house some small groups of females together and rarely have problems. When I was breeding leopard geckos, I housed the male with the female(s) for the entire breeding season. I found that the male was very insistent early in the season and then lost interest. If the female is in good health, let them try. Be prepared for no eggs or infertile eggs, or fertile eggs. Be sure you have proper incubation equipment and have thought about how to house and feed hatchlings. Also be aware that sometimes geckos hatch with deformities and you need to be prepared to either care for them or have them put down.

Aliza
 
Absolutely. If I were to ever successfully hatch a set of eggs I do have other terrariums available. Unless the deformities were major life impacting ones, I would be glad to care for them. 2 of my other leos were given to me by the breeder of the 17yr old because they were "flawed" with naturally short stumpy tails. Monsters are welcome in this house!
I will keep an eye on the female and make sure she isn't getting too beat up and monitor weight.
 

Elizabeth Freer

Well-known member
"I have a 17yr old female who I have raised from a few days old, very chubby and robust.
I also have a very healthy 13yr old who I always thought was female, because there was an absence of visible bulges or distinct pores."

Are these 2 leos related?
 
"I have a 17yr old female who I have raised from a few days old, very chubby and robust.
I also have a very healthy 13yr old who I always thought was female, because there was an absence of visible bulges or distinct pores."

Are these 2 leos related?
No--totally unrelated! The female came from a breeder I used to know locally. The male came from a Petco (I know..but he was a gorgeous morph and I wanted to make sure he got into good hands). There would be no genetic ties whatsoever.
 
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