# Mourning geckos.



## Aubrey Sidwell (Oct 22, 2016)

Well I just acquired a pair of Lepidodactylus lugubris (mourning gecko) which I have never had before. The terrarium they are set up in, a Zilla brand 12x12x18, has a live bromeliad and another unidentified plant and the substrate is coco fiber about 6 inches deep. I am aware of them being parthenogenic and I have recovered 4 eggs from the enclosure. One question I have about the eggs is how to tell if they are good, fertile, or bad and what normal progression of the egg looks like if it is fertile. The eggs look like they were laid at 2 separate times in pairs. One set looks relatively new with a yellow color on the inside. The other 2 are darker on the inside either suggesting that they have gone bad on the inside or is the color change just due possibly to the fact that there are baby lizards in the eggs? I have no way of knowing how long the eggs have been there and I tried lighting the eggs up with a flashlight to see on the inside and I can't tell anything for sure and I can't confirm any movement. I can get pics later I don't have any at the moment to post.


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## Aquarimax (Oct 22, 2016)

I have had a reproductive colony of mourning geckos for several years now. The eggs start out white, the non-viable ones typically turn yellow over time, while the fertile ones will often become a gray or blue color, often with splotches that make them look as if they are going bad. Sudden appearance of splotches is often a sign they will hatch within a week or so, though this is not always true. Incubation periods are variable and at least partly temperature dependent. My first egg to hatch took 4.5 months to hatch, but the average seems to be a little over 3 months. 
When in doubt, keep the eggs. I made a care video that may be useful:

Reactions: Like 1


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## viper69 (Oct 22, 2016)

I'm not into that type of gecko @Aquarimax but I thought your video was done pretty nicely. I wish more people would these types of videos. Nice looking habitat. Was that Zoomed Cork tile for the backing?

Reactions: Like 1


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## Aquarimax (Oct 22, 2016)

viper69 said:


> I'm not into that type of gecko @Aquarimax but I thought your video was done pretty nicely. I wish more people would these types of videos. Nice looking habitat. Was that Zoomed Cork tile for the backing?


Thank you, I'm glad you liked the video! You were spot on--that was indeed Zoomed Cork tile.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Aubrey Sidwell (Oct 22, 2016)

Loved the video. In the eggs in the flower vial one was hatched two were white and one was dark on the inside. Is the one that was dark a viable egg? That's what 2 of mine look like. They were attached to a bromeliad leaf and I was able to remove them and place them in a separate incubator container.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Aquarimax (Oct 22, 2016)

Aubrey Sidwell said:


> Loved the video. In the eggs in the flower vial one was hatched two were white and one was dark on the inside. Is the one that was dark a viable egg? That's what 2 of mine look like. They were attached to a bromeliad leaf and I was able to remove them and place them in a separate incubator container.


Yes, that was a viable egg, so there's a good chance yours are viable too, I hope they are!


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## Aubrey Sidwell (Oct 23, 2016)

Aquarimax said:


> Yes, that was a viable egg, so there's a good chance yours are viable too, I hope they are!


So not knowing how long ago the egg was produced and seeing it darkernel on the inside would you expect to see movement inside the egg or not necessarily? I candled the eggs and I can see a little better than naked eye but no movement.


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## Aquarimax (Oct 24, 2016)

Aubrey Sidwell said:


> So not knowing how long ago the egg was produced and seeing it darkernel on the inside would you expect to see movement inside the egg or not necessarily? I candled the eggs and I can see a little better than naked eye but no movement.


I wouldn't worry too much, even if you don't see movement. It's possible that it is no longer viable, but there's a really good chance that it will still hatch. I've had eggs that were accidentally dislodged from their deposition surfaces still hatch just fine.


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## Aubrey Sidwell (Oct 27, 2016)

Turns out I didn't have to wait long. My wife came home from work and discovered one of the eggs had hatched.












20161027_021534



__ Aubrey Sidwell
__ Oct 27, 2016
__ 1



						Just hatched Mourning Gecko
					
















20161027_021913



__ Aubrey Sidwell
__ Oct 27, 2016
__ 2



						Mourning gecko hatchling
					
















20161027_022227



__ Aubrey Sidwell
__ Oct 27, 2016
__ 1



						Mourning gecko eggs

Reactions: Like 1


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## Aquarimax (Oct 27, 2016)

Aubrey Sidwell said:


> Turns out I didn't have to wait long. My wife came home from work and discovered one of the eggs had hatched.


Congratulations!
The babies are hardy little things, she should do well for you. If her 'twin' egg is viable, it should most likely hatch within a day or two.


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