Breeding herps

The popularity of reptiles is increasing and so is the interest of breeding them.  These efforts are greatly encouraged as there are many species of reptiles that are struggling to survive in the wild.  However, if you are just starting out in the hobby, you might want to wait until you become more experienced before you start a breeding project. 

Since each herp has it's own needs for breeding, the information below is for general purpose only.

Most reptiles lay eggs and are called oviparous. The act of laying eggs is called oviposition. Some reptiles bear live young and the term for this is viviparous. Technically, a female that lays eggs is said to be gravid when she’s holding eggs inside of her. She may also correctly be called pregnant. Below is a list of some of the more common species of reptiles and the method of reproduction they employ:

Reptiles That Lay Eggs
 All turtles                                
 All tortoises                        
 All crocodilians                        
 Some lizards                                
 Iguanas                                
 Water dragons                        
 Geckos                        
 Veiled chameleons                        
 Panther chameleons                        
 Monitors                                
 Snakes including: all pythons, kingsnakes, milksnakes, rat snakes and corn snakes

Reptiles That Bear Live Young
Some chameleons
All boas
All vipers
Garter snakes
Some lizards including Solomon Island skink; blue-tongue skink; shingle-backed skink

Male and female reptiles don’t have external genitalia to help owners determine the sex of a herp. However, males and females do possess different reproductive organs. The male possesses two testicles, which are housed inside the body. He also has a copulatory organ, either a single penis (turtles and tortoises, crocodilians) or a pair of hemipenes (lizards, snakes) that can often be seen as two bulges behind the cloaca (the passage for the urinary and reproductive discharge) at the base of the tail.

For the majority of reptiles kept in captivity, their homes do not reflect their natural habitat. For this reason, eggs laid do not incubate as they would in the wild. In order to increase the chance of live young, artificial incubation is usually necessary.

Most reptile breeders use specially designed incubators, some (like myself) make their own. For an incubator to provide the proper environment, it is crucial to make sure good insulation and a reliable thermostat prevent the loss of heat and moisture, and to disperse heat evenly. Substrates commonly used include vermiculite, potting soil, sand and sphagnum moss.

The temperature you set your incubator at will determine the sex of your herps.  Cool temperatures (79 to 82 F) will produce females, warm temperatures (above 87 F) will produce males and temperatures in the middle (83 to 86 F) will produce hatchlings of both genders.