Breeding Eurydactylodes

Now that we have covered the basic care requirements here, we can focus on how to breed Eurydactylodes agricolae and vieillardi. First things first, let's figure out what sex your geckos are. Mature males are very easy to distinguish from mature females as they will have a rather obvious hemipenal bulge and prominent femoral pores. Females lack both of these features as demonstrated in our handy dandy pictures below.

Sexing juvenile Eurydactylodes is a bit more tricky as they do not develop the bulge until maturity. Males can develop pores as early as 3 months old and experienced keepers can usually sex them at this point. But things are not always what they seem because females can display pseudopores which look very similar to actual pores. A trained eye can tell the difference but unfortunately, that is something that only comes with experience.

Nutrition

Successful reproduction is heavily dependent on what you feed your breeders. As with most species the more variety you can include in their diet, the better. While both agricolae and vieillardi can survive and reproduce on prepared gecko diets alone, they will thrive and be more prolific when also offered live gut loaded insects at least once or twice a week. We offer smaller sized crickets as well as dubia roach nymphs. We dust the insects with calcium and D3 powder every time we feed insects, and we mix in a Herptivite multivitamin with the calcium one feeding per week. In addition to that, we offer prepared gecko diet 2 or 3 times per week.

Seasons

Seasonal cues play a role in the breeding cycle of these geckos. Shorter days and cooler temps will "turn off" breeding and egg laying. Our gecko room falls to around 68-72 F during the winter months which effectively tells them it's time for a break. Two to three months of cooler days and less than 12 hours of light is recommended as a rest period after which you can resume normal temperature and light cycles to stimulate breeding behavior.

Pairing

These guys breed readily when housed as pairs or trios. Having more than 2 females with the male seems to result in less breeding and egg laying. Only a single male should ever be housed with the female(s) to prevent fighting. The pairs or trios can be housed together year round.

Having healthy, well fed, and properly housed pairs or trios will result in breeding and egg laying.

Egg Laying Sites

Your egg laying container should be at least 4 inches deep as Eurydactylodes like to bury their eggs fairly deep. We find the Gladware type containers work nicely. Fill the container with a 50:50 mix of peat moss and vermiculite and make sure it always stays damp but not soaking wet. Check for eggs regularly. Both species are notorious for laying eggs outside of the lay box so make sure to check everywhere!

Eggs and Incubation
Once the eggs are laid they should be removed and placed into an airtight container with moist but not soaking wet incubation medium. We like Pangea Hatch or Vermiculite for the medium. Suitable containers include deli cups or Ziploc type food storage containers. The lid should be opened every 4-7 days to check on the eggs and to refresh the air inside. We leave the container in our reptile room which stays 73-75 degrees and eggs hatch in 70-90 days.

Hatchling Care
Hatchlings are cared for exactly the same way as adults with a little more care placed on making sure they get misted regularly and heavily enough to allow ample time to drink the droplets of water. Dehydration is the most common cause of failure to thrive with these two species. That being said, keeping them too wet and without enough ventilation is equally detrimental. Good airflow is essential and will allow the enclosure to dry up between mistings.