# Stenodactylus sthenodactylus breeding advice



## blabble182 (Dec 26, 2010)

just looking for some hints and tipes from anyone thats bred these or the other species similar to them. how do you cycle them to nudge them into breeding? do they lay quite deep in the substrate? and best incubation medium?

Any help appreciated

Cheers


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## mariex4 (Oct 19, 2009)

all i did was had more females to males and left them to it, keep an eye on the pregnant one and you could possibly remove her to a seperate viv with sand and wait be carefull when move the eggs tho it dont matter if rolled once layed but make sure you dont over roll them. For incubation i just did a small hole in sand and placed the egg carefully in it and left em to incubate, i had lots of healthy bubbas . If you have any let me know cause id love to have some again xxgood look


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## blabble182 (Dec 26, 2010)

what temps did you incubate at? they run the normal 70 odd days to hatch?


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## Spikebrit (Oct 23, 2006)

I bread all three sub-species (available in captivity) regularly. The S.stheno are by far the easist and will mate and lay without cycling. 

However, i drop the temps in my steno vivs down to 24-25 c for 2 months of the year and this generally improves egg laying. However, putting male and females together will always produce eggs. 

Females will lay after digging a tunnel, so they need a deap substrate. At least 2-3 inches

I incubate eggs at 30c and in 70 days or there about babies will appear. 

Jay


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## blabble182 (Dec 26, 2010)

What substrate do you use to allow them to dig well?


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## Spikebrit (Oct 23, 2006)

blabble182 said:


> What substrate do you use to allow them to dig well?


They used to be on play sand for years and that worked well, just keep is damp at time to hold the tunnel structure. However i am now trying a soil and sand mix so will let you know how this seasons egs turn out. 

jay


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## blabble182 (Dec 26, 2010)

Spikebrit said:


> They used to be on play sand for years and that worked well, just keep is damp at time to hold the tunnel structure. However i am now trying a soil and sand mix so will let you know how this seasons egs turn out.
> 
> jay


I've read the ground has to be dry for mating though? Or have you not had issues with damp sand?


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## Spikebrit (Oct 23, 2006)

blabble182 said:


> I've read the ground has to be dry for mating though? Or have you not had issues with damp sand?


never had any issues been breeding them for 7 years 

Jay


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## blabble182 (Dec 26, 2010)

awesome thanks for the tips! getting the homemade viv stable now to pre empt the eggs from various things. got a mini fridge with a heating mode on it that is plugged into a stat. seems to work brilliant! temps are stable just working out the humidity at the moment


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## Spikebrit (Oct 23, 2006)

you dont want any humidity with steno eggs, they need a completly dry incubation. 

jay


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## Sammyb (Jan 30, 2012)

as said above just leave them to it ive never cycled mine and not long after having them woke up to find a baby running around the viv?!?!? i have about 2" of sand as substrate and hot spot around 30'


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## blabble182 (Dec 26, 2010)

Spikebrit said:


> you dont want any humidity with steno eggs, they need a completly dry incubation.
> 
> jay


Right I'm gonna go get me another minifridge then lol


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## Spikebrit (Oct 23, 2006)

blabble182 said:


> Right I'm gonna go get me another minifridge then lol


i used to just incubate mine in a poly box, with a matt attached to a stat, easy.

jay


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## mariex4 (Oct 19, 2009)

agree no humidity, pure dryness, i used normal rep sand and was fine .


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