Mourning Gecko (Lepidodactylus lugubris) Gravid and possible issues.

[DeeJ]

So earlier this year I got some little Mourning Geckos, and now the largest one has grown up enough to start to develop eggs! (Picture Below). I originally thought I saw this gecko try and lay them, but struggle. Turns out it was a different gecko that was straining/holding its tail up. That gecko is not gravid. I've read up on issues that may cause this, but none of them seem to match why she's doing it. For those of you who have had these geckos, have you seen similar behaviour? It did seem like she felt threatened, but she did it even without me being close to the enclosure.

I'm assuming that she's eating okay, as she's around 3" and I've had her since May. I've never seen any of them do this behaviour, just wondering if any of you know what it could be. She's active and seems happy, so I'm trying not to worry about it.

Below is the picture of the Gravid female. I noticed that she had a single egg on the 30th of last month, and now she has a second! Just wondering if any of you guys know when I could possibly expect her to lay her eggs, I'd love to try and get a peak into her laying them. I also wanted to know if the positioning is okay, all of the pictures of gravid geckos I've seen, they don't seem to be level with each other, as in one's further towards the head of the gecko.

The picture isn't the best, as she's quite fired up, but my girls have a stunning yellow colour on their stomachs when they are.

Other than this, I can't wait to get some baby mourning geckos and to develop a larger colony, I love this little species of gecko!

 

[SamanthaMarikian]

Usually they’ll get stiff n raise their tail and/or wave/wiggle it around like a S when they feel threatened or as like a defense display since if you have a pair or trio of them theres always one dominant female n sometimes theyll fight over spots in the enclosure. Like with mine they fight over the ledge between th background and the lid. Sometimes the dominant female will eat the others eggs as well which sucks, it happened with the first two clutches one of mine laid. I have a pregnant mourning gecko rn n once you can see the egg fully formed it shouldnt be too long before it gets laid. I just usually make sure theyre well fed with crested gecko diet n fruit flies. As long as they have places to lay n are fed you shouldnt have any problems.

 

[DeeJ]

Usually they’ll get stiff n raise their tail and/or wave/wiggle it around like a S when they feel threatened or as like a defense display since if you have a pair or trio of them theres always one dominant female n sometimes theyll fight over spots in the enclosure. Like with mine they fight over the ledge between th background and the lid. Sometimes the dominant female will eat the others eggs as well which sucks, it happened with the first two clutches one of mine laid. I have a pregnant mourning gecko rn n once you can see the egg fully formed it shouldnt be too long before it gets laid. I just usually make sure theyre well fed with crested gecko diet n fruit flies. As long as they have places to lay n are fed you shouldnt have any problems.

I'm glad you think its more of a defence mechanism rather than any illnesses or anything. I have a bowl of CGD in there constantly, and offer different livefoods when I have them. The food bowl is in more of a neutral zone, and although I never see them eating it, their poop is dotted around and there's small woodlice and springtails that they could probably snack on too.

There's plenty of hiding places, I have a piece of cork bark siliconed to the side, as well as different levels. I have a fully grown bromeliad in the corner with a vine going over the top (Right under the heater so its a nice basking spot). My other plant is still growing so that isn't really used as a hiding spot at the moment. The gecko I was on about holding its tail up was upside down on a bromeliad leaf, but it was doing the same on the background too. It was in the territory of the gravid female, which is the largest and most likely most dominant gecko in there. I also siliconed above the background as I kept getting little woodlice escaping and I kept finding them dead everywhere. It was also future escape proofing for the geckos.

I do have a trio, the largest one is around 3.5", the second one is around 3" and the third is probably 3" but much 'smaller'. Their sizes have grown together since I got them originally, and they all have a nice chunky tail and are active too.

From your experience, what is an estimated time till the gecko lays the eggs? (From the pic above) I'm hoping she lays them in a suitable area where I can put a small cup over them with air holes, just to protect them. Or hopefully on a leaf so I can remove the leaf into a little cup.

 

[SamanthaMarikian]

Idk its hard to tell when it’ll lay it, but they can take a few months to hatch. And they usually lay them in tight areas. Mine always lay in the top corners or between the background and screen where its a small area. and make sure the holes the woodlice got out of are closed and any vents are closed. Ive had geckos in my room for months that i couldnt catch til last month lol. Started out as babies that got out into the vents and got fat by eating from my vented isopod colonjes lol.

 

[DeeJ]

Idk its hard to tell when it’ll lay it, but they can take a few months to hatch. And they usually lay them in tight areas. Mine always lay in the top corners or between the background and screen where its a small area. and make sure the holes the woodlice got out of are closed and any vents are closed. Ive had geckos in my room for months that i couldnt catch til last month lol. Started out as babies that got out into the vents and got fat by eating from my vented isopod colonjes lol.

Okay it was worth a shot. More than likely from where the gravid gecko stays, it'll be in the warmer corner of the enclosure, so that will hopefully help the eggs. I'm unsure of whether or not you have an exo terra, but are the vents under the doors big enough for the baby geckos to escape through?

Other than that, thank you for the replies

 

[SamanthaMarikian]

Okay it was worth a shot. More than likely from where the gravid gecko stays, it'll be in the warmer corner of the enclosure, so that will hopefully help the eggs. I'm unsure of whether or not you have an exo terra, but are the vents under the doors big enough for the baby geckos to escape through?

Other than that, thank you for the replies

Its an exo terra. And on the back of the screen lid theres often the little vents with the latch you can use to close it. as long as its closed you shouldnt have issues. And i dont think they can fit through the front vents but i closed them with putty bc fruit flies kept using it to get out lol.

 

[DeeJ]

Its an exo terra. And on the back of the screen lid theres often the little vents with the latch you can use to close it. as long as its closed you shouldnt have issues. And i dont think they can fit through the front vents but i closed them with putty bc fruit flies kept using it to get out lol.

The vents at the back are closed and siliconed shut, because my background was a little damaged and bent, meaning the could've gotten behind it if I didn't. They arent an issue anymore.

And I never thought about how I kept finding fruit flies around my room, I think you just solved that case for me; I'm going to cover it up when I get some time, using hot glue or something, just as a precaution.

 

[SamanthaMarikian]

Lol nice. The little gals out in my room were taking care of that problem for me til i caught them lol

 

[Ellenantula]

Best of luck.
Not familiar with fruit flies being a complete diet.
Anyway, trying to be hopeful (I'd try any other feeder -- mine like roaches and superworms -- pinheads if not ready for adult/juvies).

 

[SamanthaMarikian]

Best of luck.
Not familiar with fruit flies being a complete diet.
Anyway, trying to be hopeful (I'd try any other feeder -- mine like roaches and superworms -- pinheads if not ready for adult/juvies).

Yeah theyre not complete i just do fruit flies and crested gecko diet as a staple but yea variety is good. I usually give them fruit like banana and mango if we get any n just mash it up n mine like it

 

[Ellenantula]

Not meaning to be critical -- ANY food source is better than none. I have been blessed with B lat colonies to feed off pinheads when needed -- please take NO offence. None was intended.

 

[DeeJ]

Best of luck.
Not familiar with fruit flies being a complete diet.
Anyway, trying to be hopeful (I'd try any other feeder -- mine like roaches and superworms -- pinheads if not ready for adult/juvies).

I got a video of mine eating the Pangea Papaya flavour, so I normally give them that, interchanged with repashy during the week.

Are superworms something that should be fed rarely? Aren't they quite high in fat? I've been meaning to get some pinhead crickets, as I never seem to be able to find roaches in the UK, especially as any larger ones could go to my Crestie.

I tried them with mealworms but they aren't a massive fan, and because of the chitin I don't want to offer them too frequently. Plus mealworms can easily be too large for them, so they just ignore them.

 

[Ellenantula]

I got a video of mine eating the Pangea Papaya flavour, so I normally give them that, interchanged with repashy during the week.

Are superworms something that should be fed rarely? Aren't they quite high in fat? I've been meaning to get some pinhead crickets, as I never seem to be able to find roaches in the UK, especially as any larger ones could go to my Crestie.

I tried them with mealworms but they aren't a massive fan, and because of the chitin I don't want to offer them too frequently. Plus mealworms can easily be too large for them, so they just ignore them.

Sorry, I have a bearded dragon near brumation, so I tend to pushy fatty foods just prior. Sorry if I alarmed with my post.

I wish you ALL success!

 

[DeeJ]

Sorry, I have a bearded dragon near brumation, so I tend to pushy fatty foods just prior. Sorry if I alarmed with my post.

I wish you ALL success!

You didn't alarm me, don't worry Thank you for the support anyhow.

 

[DeeJ]

Yeah theyre not complete i just do fruit flies and crested gecko diet as a staple but yea variety is good. I usually give them fruit like banana and mango if we get any n just mash it up n mine like it

Just wanted to add a quick update.

She laid her eggs! Or at least one of them, and the other one is now digesting inside her.

I caught her just before I went to work, and she started eating the egg that was there, so I covered it up and allowed air to get through. The egg has started drying and it now has 'dents' in it, does that mean it'll still be viable or not? Also, how long does it take for the egg to set, as its still really soft at the looks of it?

 

[SamanthaMarikian]

Just wanted to add a quick update.

She laid her eggs! Or at least one of them, and the other one is now digesting inside her.

I caught her just before I went to work, and she started eating the egg that was there, so I covered it up and allowed air to get through. The egg has started drying and it now has 'dents' in it, does that mean it'll still be viable or not? Also, how long does it take for the egg to set, as its still really soft at the looks of it?

A lot of times to my knowledge an egg will get “dents” or wrinkle when it’s too dry, but since their eggs dry up hard and aren’t leathery it could’ve been too dry when it was laid or maybe she stepped on it or bit it? It could still be a good egg though. Does anyone else maybe know?

 

[DeeJ]

A lot of times to my knowledge an egg will get “dents” or wrinkle when it’s too dry, but since their eggs dry up hard and aren’t leathery it could’ve been too dry when it was laid or maybe she stepped on it or bit it? It could still be a good egg though. Does anyone else maybe know?

I thought I replied saying that the egg fell apart, but apparently I didn't. But yeah, I think she ate too much of it and it basically wasn't viable overall, it just fell off when I uncovered it to cover it properly, with a cup that I could monitor it with. Its unfortunate, but it happens and I expected it to happen, as they reportedly do for the first clutch or two.

 

[mantisfan101]

If you have a Red runner colony you could collect the ooths and put them in a small 2 oz deli cup in the gecko's enclosure and letthem hatch out. Maybe put a thin layer of calcium powder so that they have some form of calcium on them for the geckos.