A couple questions relating 'Eggies and Breedin'

[Manitoban Herps]

Hi yah, here are my questions :D

1.) After my male leopard has mated with my female and she begins laying, does the male have to mate with her for each clutch or doe he just mate with her once and she lays 3-7 clutches? I want to take the male out and put him in with my other smaller female, but if it will interfer with the laying female I won't even try it.

2.)I am incubating my eggs at 80-83 how long should they take to hatch.

Thanks guys, I really apperciate your help.

[clint545]

Kevin -

1) Female Leos retain sperm. If she's laying, then feel free to introduce the male to your other girl. It'll be easier on the gravid female if you take the male out too, as he'll just keep pestering her.

2) You at about the same temp range I incubate at. My shortest time was 45 days, the longest was 54 days.

Good luck!!

[TLH_Wär§cöötmän]

1) FYI its a good idea to keep several females with the male, that way if ones not into it, another most likely wil be.

2) I'm incubating at 81°F, mine avg just short of 3 months so far. I still cant understand how you guys get them hatching so fast!! LOL

[DragnDrop]

I incubate them between 80-84F and it takes well over 60 days, usually 70-75 days.

[TLH_Wär§cöötmän]

K now I dont feel so bad!

[beanersmysav]

I incubate mine at exactly 79 degrees and my first took 51 days the next should be coming along soon.

[malaysianbloods]

My clutchs last year took 35 to 38 days at 89 degrees. I thought it was pretty fast because I was told that they would take an average of 60 days, so I was very surprised.

[malaysianbloods]

Hi I was also wondering do you guys do anything with lighting to stimulate breeding because last year I did nothing and they just breed and I got my first clutch around late september and now this year I got my first clutch a little over a month ago and my other females don't even look gravid.

[TLH_Wär§cöötmän]

I just have my lights on timers, 12 hour cycle in summer (7am to 7pm day, 7pm to 7am night) but for the winter I had the lights on a modified light cycle (9am to 7pm day, 7pm to 9am night) I did that to more closly imitate the daylight hours where I am. (winter gets dark so fast LOL)

[DragnDrop]

Incubating at 89 is close to the maximum safe temperature. Since they develop faster in that range, the incubation period is naturally shorter. You should get mostly males at that temperature, but don't be surprised to find some females (that's the start of the temperature range for 'hot' females). If you don't have a very accurate thermostat, it's not recommended to incubate that high because it's so close to the lethal maximum. Same with incubating lower than 80 - it's getting close to the lethal minimum range. Accurate thermostats and incubators are really important at those extremes.

[TLH_Wär§cöötmän]

Yea I agree. I incubate my eggs at 80°F-81°F, a safer temp and should result in mainly females. I like my incubator that has a fan, it keeps everything very very accurate, altho I have to cover my eggs with saran wrap and poke holes with toothpick so that they can breath. If I don't the air being circulated is just barely enough to cause the eggs to dry out and collapse. I have 15 eggs doing great and I use my saran wrap method :)

[malaysianbloods]

Thanks for all the info right now i'm just using a 10gallon tank with under water heater. I actaully have the heater at aboout 88-89 so my eggs stay at around 87-88 the lowest that I have temped it at was 86 and the highest was 89 and that was only once. Thanks again for all the info.