Change in Digging of Gravid Female

I noticed this last year on the last clutch of the season, and I'm also noticing it this year with my first two. The females seem to dig like mad at first with their front two legs. And then just before laying they start to dig with their hind legs. They alternate between the two hind legs, kicking out dirt or in this case substrate. I'm wondering if this shift from one leg to the other with the hind legs helps with the labor.

Hmm, It's a possibility, but sadly I am never around really to see my females in labor Stupid full time job! I wonder if Marcia or Kelli, someone that has a bunch of babies (altho my collection isn't really "small" either... ) would be able to answer.

Maybe her front feet just got too tired?

I'm lucky enough to work full time out of my home except weekends and occasional week days when I have to do balloon decor that I've planned all the other days.


I'm not so sure if it's just the front get tired. I think it's easier with the hind legs and helps with labor, also the fact that they don't have to turn around to lay the eggs when it's time. I'm watching my one girl now, just waiting to see two little eggs pop out. She's so cute, the little mommy. She also looks so tired, poor thing.

Hrm, I think it's a tag team effort between the front and hind legs. In nature, a gecko would be basically digging a tunnel or hole into moistened soil. The front legs would be farther in the hole than the back, so they'd kick dirt behind them, and the back legs would kick the dirt completely out. Lots of burrowing animals alternate between the front and hind legs, probably just to make sure the dirt doesn't fill up the hole behind them.

That's very interesting way to put it.

The funny thing is when she was digging (she laid the eggs at 2:15pm today) she would started facing one way using her front legs, then she turned around facing the opposite direction and placing her butt over the hole and started using her back legs kicking the substrate in a different direction. I guess since we can't really supply them with a real deep lay box we would never really see what they would do in the wild when they could dig deeper.

I had a very deep hide box with 2.5 inches of very wet fine vermiclite. The gecko dug a tunnel under the vermiculite, i couldnt find her then i shine a light and she popped up. It was really surprising.