hibernation? and a question about introducing lizards to eachother

[Ch3m1cal_x]

Can any1 help me out? i read that for the winter you are supoze to put ur lizards into a dormant state? how is this done? i have a bunch of books about lizards but its confuzing can some1 explain it to me in laymans terms?

And my other question is how would you introduce two leopard geckos to eachother... im scared to just plop them in together because im not 100% sure of the sex. both are the same size and have been through a quarentine period and now its time id like to put them together how is this done the best way?

Thanks a lot, id apreciate any advice :)

[Brion]

hey.

For introducing them, make sure they are opposite sex. This can easily be found on the internet by exploring care sheets and details on breeding. Usually you can find pictures in order to help sex your own geckos. (They can be sexed at about a year of age). The female will have no preanal bulges at the base of the tail, and the male will have bulges at the base of its tail and a V-shaped row of pores. Hope that helps for the sexing part. They should also be at least a year old, i've been told a female is full grown and ready to breed at the age of a year and a half.

I've heard people recommend introducing the male to the female's tank, or the female to the male's tank. I'm not sure which one is better, it just depends on what works best for you. It's a trial and error method i guess, just keep testing. Also, during the dormant stage (or out of breeding season), it is usually better to keep them apart. You do not want the male harrassing the female to breed since it is stressful for her and will lead to health problems.

For a minimal size tank if you keep them together, you should have at least a 20 gallon for the 2 geckos, and separate hide boxes. Basic rule is males cannot be housed together, but for female it's ok.

For the dromant period, i've been told not to worry about it since geckos will breed no matter what, and breeding season starts up again in Dec-Jan. If you do decide to control temperature, it must be done by reducing the temperature of the terrarium(s) by a few degrees every couple of days, until you have reached a low temperature (it shouldn't go lower than 65 degrees).

Hope this helps, and good luck!

[Ch3m1cal_x]

thanks so much... :) its very helpful. so basicly i dont need them to go into dormant states for them to be ready to breed? the thing is i dont know what age to introduce them to eachother, and i know i have a male and a female 100% so thats not the problem... but i guess its better not to put them together too soon. im just asking because iv noticed how in pet stores they can have like 5 in one big terrarium and they are ok and they are diffrent sizes which is weird

[Brion]

yes, basically it isn't necessary to put them in a dormant stage, they will breed either way.

personally i'm not a big fan of placing many geckos in a group, just because i am worried about their health...when they live on their own, stress is not an issue.

If you want to place them together, only introduce the female to a male once she is over a year and a half old, because the male will want to breed. But if a female breeds before a year and a half, she is not full grown, so it will stunt her growth.

Be sure you're ready to incubate eggs once you introduce the male and female, i would recommend setting up an incubator ahead of time to make sure the temperature and moisture is accurate and consistent.

Also, just a side note...pet stores are horrible for examples. Information is much more reliable from specialty breeders and people that know about reptiles. I have seen improper substrates, improper heat, too many geckos for the size of tank, dead crickets... pretty much all the bad things you could do to your pet, all in a pet store. Personally, i'd never take advice from most big name pet stores. Only specialty stores run by private breeders.

[Ch3m1cal_x]

i agree with everything you said :) thanks so much for advice tho. im pretty sure 2 leos in a 30 gal with like 3 or 4 hides when of age will be ok together. either way its a bit too early to keep mine togeter so till the summer i wont worry about it. thanks again

[Brion]

no problem. The 30 gallon would be great, and the 3 or 4 hide boxes are perfect. Good luck with everything!