If you are wanting to learn more about New Caledonian Giant Geckos (Rhacodactylus leachianus) breeding check out our six steps for achieving success at breeding Leachie geckos.
Step 1: Set the mood.
To create the perfect environment for breeding Leachie geckos, you'll need to provide plenty of hiding places for the male and female so they can hide together or get away from each other if they choose. Female geckos also require a moist area to lay their eggs, whether directly in the substrate or a lay box. In my experience, they will choose to lay in the most inconvenient places and will often ignore lay boxes. Make sure to keep the temperature between 78-82°F and the humidity level at 70-90%, as this will mimic their natural environment and help to stimulate breeding. It can also be helpful to decrease the daylight hours and induce a slight temperature drop prior to introduction.
Step 2: Introduce the geckos.
When introducing male and female Leachie geckos, it's essential to monitor their behavior to ensure they're getting along. These are very large geckos with strong bites; they can hurt and even kill each other. Many breeders will use cameras or baby monitors to keep an eye on new pairs at night when they're most likely to be aggressive toward each other.
You can take a few different approaches when introducing Leachies; we will discuss the one we use here. Female Leachies can be territorial and somewhat picky of their mates.
Hence, it's advisable to introduce the female into the male's territory to reduce the risk of her trying to fight the male over their territory. Introduce during the day when both animals are more likely to try to hide together than be aggressive and feed the pair the night before, as well as the day of introduction. Sometimes pairs will copulate right away, but many times it may take the male and female a little getting used to each other before you start seeing signs of breeding.
Step 3: The deed.
If the female is receptive, the male will grab her by the neck and begin the mating process. This usually lasts for a few minutes, during which time the male will transfer his sperm to the female.
Step 4: Wait for the signs.
Once you've witnessed the act, or your geckos have been living comfortably for a while, you'll want to watch for signs that the female is ready to lay her eggs. This typically occurs 20-30 days after mating, depending on the female's age and health. She will begin to dig in the substrate or her lay box and may become restless or more active. You may even notice she is plumper around her lower abdominal area. Check on the pair at night to see where she's digging, or just dig through the enclosure regularly to find the eggs.
Step 5: Incubate the eggs.
After the female has laid her eggs, you'll need to carefully remove them from the lay box and place them in an incubator set to a consistent temperature of 70-82°F and a humidity level of 70-90%. We incubate at 75 degrees ideally to ensure a slightly longer incubation resulting in larger, healthier babies. The higher the temperature you go with to incubate your eggs, the faster they will hatch, which means they have less time to develop before popping out of the egg. Depending on the temperature and humidity levels, the eggs will take approximately 60-80 days to hatch.
Step 6: Wait for the hatchlings.
After the incubation period, you'll be rewarded with tiny little gecko hatchlings emerging from their eggs. Their care is essentially the same as an adult Leachie. They'll need to be fed a diet of small insects and CGD, and will require a warm and humid environment to thrive.
And there you have it – the step-by-step process of breeding Leachie geckos, complete with all the details you need to ensure success. Remember to be patient and provide your geckos with the proper environment and nutrition, and you'll be rewarded with healthy, happy hatchlings in no time!
Learn more about our Gecko breeder at BHB Reptiles
Jessica Saunders has been an integral member of the BHB Reptiles team since 2014, where she has exhibited exceptional dedication and expertise in her role. As a skilled professional, she has successfully cultivated and expanded our gecko breeding program into one of the most recognized and respected in the world. Her efforts have contributed significantly to diversifying the range of species that we work with, thereby enhancing BHB's reputation as a leader in the gecko breeding industry.
Follow Jessica on Instagram to show her your support and for more behind the scenes content.
https://www.instagram.com/hooksnthings/
Shop Geckos Of New Caledonia At BHB Reptiles
Crested Geckos: https://www.bhbreptiles.com/collections/crested-geckos
Leachie Geckos: https://www.bhbreptiles.com/collections/new-caledonian-giant-geckos-leachies
Gargoyle Geckos: https://www.bhbreptiles.com/collections/gargoyle-geckos