CSM Gecko
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I got a chance to ask Daidra from Leopard Gecko Lair a few questions about what she does with her breeding projects and what some plans are for Leopard Gecko Lair. Daidra has been breeding leopard geckos for 3 years. Her basic Mission is to make healthy and vibrant leopard geckos for everyone to enjoy, whether they are breeders or just want to add to their collection of pets. Here is what Daidra had to say.
Who would you say is your mentor for getting started breeding reptiles?
I would have to say a mentor that I looked up to for breeding leopard geckos or any other reptiles I may breed in the future was Steve Irwin, as he truly loved any animal that walked on the earth and also respected them as I do. Reptiles are my favorite animals, like they were his, and I will never forget everything he taught me about animals and how they should be respected. They are a gift from God that should always be respected and cared for as he always showed us.
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What types of projects or products are you planning for the future?
I am currently working on producing the Emerald Raptor that has yet to be debuted and many other morphs that are top secret at the moment but when the time comes, I will debut them and everyone will truly be amazed at their beauty.
Would you consider yourself a small, medium, or large breeder? What size would you like to grow to?
I would consider myself a small breeder with around 50 breeder leopard geckos and I hatch about 100+ babies per year. But I am currently downsizing to around 30 breeders, as I will be starting college and won’t have enough time to care for so many geckos then.
What is your favorite morph?
The Emerine is by far my favorite morph, as they have a different array of colors that they come and hatch in, and are in my opinion the most placid of all the leopard geckos I deal with or breed.
Where do you see Leopard Gecko Lair headed in the future?
I see Leopard Gecko Lair growing to large scale breeder of leopard geckos, corn snakes, sand boas, ball pythons, and viper geckos in the future, possibly even savannah monitors.
Do you attend any reptile shows? If so which shows do you attend?
I only attend the reptile shows in the Ft. Meyers area as of now and I will be attending the Daytona National Breeders’ Expo in a few years. I also will attend the other reptile shows in Florida.
That’s a wrap!
Thanks Daidra for taking time to tell all of us about what you are doing with Leopard Gecko Lair. You can check Daidra and Leopard Gecko Lair out on her website http://leopardgeckolair.com.
Our next Small Breeder Interview will be coming from Aliza. And as always if you would like to take part in this interview series please contact Cory at CSM Gecko. You can contact Cory through his website www.csmgecko.com or email [email protected].
Thanks for taking the time to share with us!
I want to breed my geckos but at what age can you have them start breeding? one seems like he/she wants to have sex but the others are just like 2 months younger. so i dont know when. an when you can tell the sex? there about 3 to 5 months. there is 4 geckos. one is more rare an i want to breed with that one. but dont know how to make that happen when i will be putting 3 all together. what you sugest i do about breeding? an what age they can? an at what age can you tell there sex? so thanks.
The geckos age is not as important as their weight. Typically a year or so is when they will reach the proper weight, however it is solely dependant on the particular gecko. I do not recommend breeding any female under 50 grams are general rule. The male should be similar size so not to get hurt by the female in the breeding process as they can get quite aggressive. The reason behind the weight limit is that developing and laying eggs is very hard on the females and so the larger the gecko is the less likely you will run into complications. I personally aim to keep all my non giant Leos at around 60-70 grams as this seems to be a nice healthy weight without being obese.
As far as sexing goes make sure you can positively sex your geckos before housing together as the males with fight, often to the death and males and females may breed before either is truly ready. Multiple females can be house together in proper sized enclosures without issues typically. There may be bullying issues though over food so keep a close eye on them for the first couple weeks. Sexing them is quite easy. I can usually sex them at about 15 grams but that has been after a couple years of practice. The males have a couple of distinct buldges at the base of the tail and row of pores in an “v” pattern right above their vent area. The females do not have either of these characteristics. If you have any questions take a look on here, Gecko Time, for a.sexing article or go on a forumto see pics. Or you can send me pics at [email protected] and I will try and help you.