Hiya :)

Hi there. I'm a new gecko owner - my boyfriend bought me my first gecko - Rango -about a month or two ago, and already can't imagine life without him smiling at me every time I walk into the room I have NEVER been a lizard person (despite owning several other reptiles and pets) but Rango's changed my mind He's so sweet and loveable! So, we've decided to find him a friend and perhaps breed some more little Rango's in time.

I've read on many forums about people who are new to keeping and breeding leopard geckos and they tend to get a lot of people telling them not to, because they don't have the experience. But how do you get the experience without trying it? Of course, there are other people out there who have great experience and can give great advice and tips. Therefore, I joined this forum because I knew that I would need some help and some good advice from experienced experts

Hiya & Welcome to the forum

Hello and welcome to the forum! I'm Kathryn, I hope we can help you in anyway we can!

I love the name of your leo, Rango is a very cute name!

First off, RESEARCH. Ask questions here, but also read as much as you can! I'm going to be breeding after the new year, and I've done TONS of reading on breeding. Its helped me a lot. I also recommend you read up on the genetics of leos, as it is very important you understand what you are creating before you create it!

I recommend taking a look at these links first:
Husbandry - [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
Sexing - [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
Natural Habitat - [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
Food - [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
Morphs - [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
Gives you general idea on housing/husbandry, feeding, how to sex a leo, the morphs etc.

Breeding is a tough thing to do. I'm NOT trying to discourage you from doing it, please understand that. I'm just letting you see other sides of breeding. You will NOT make ANY money off of breeding leopard geckos for the first few years. You won't even break even. It takes years before someone can make money off of breeding leos. Be prepared for high costs for housing, incubator, food, heat, extra electricity being used, vitamins, etc. It adds up quickly! Also keep in mind if you can't find homes for the offspring its your responsibility to house them. One female can have over 20 eggs in one season from one session of being with the male (females can store sperm). And finally, be prepared to cull leos. Culling generally refers to killing offspring because of deformities or other issues. Its something you may have to do, and you need to be prepared for it. Again, I'm not trying to talk you out of it, I just think its fair you see the whole picture.

Of course with breeding, there are many exciting things. The excitement of taking care of little baby leos, watching them grow up etc.

I would get some more experience with leos before jumping into breeding if I was you though. I'm guessing Rango is an older juvie or adult. Have you had experience with a hatchling/young juvie? I would consider getting a hatchling and raising that before trying to raise a bunch of hatchlings with no experience. Taking care of a hatchling compared to an adult is a bit different.

I hope this post has helped you out a bit. Again welcome, and I hope to talk with you more soon!

Welcome to the forum!!