possibly pregnant?

Discussion in 'General Lizards' started by David Fear, Jul 12, 2011.

  1. David Fear

    David Fear Embryo

    Messages:
    8
    Hi there i have 2 giant sudan plated lizards that ive had for about a year, when i bought them they were 2-3 years old. Male and female. They are in a 100 gallon terrarium with everything they could possibly want, now recently my female has gotten really fat..and im not sure if its because she ate a pinky and it had a high fat content or she has eggs inside. Should i be concerned that she has been fat for 2-3 weeks and i heavily reduced her diet (crickets and vegetables) but she is still the same? I need advice please..if anyone knows about sudans and their breeding patterns i would greatly apreciate it! :)
     
  2. JEFFREH

    JEFFREH Administrator

    Messages:
    5,483
     
  3. Cammy

    Cammy ReptileBoards Addict

    Messages:
    919
    Hello! Not many people have plated lizards, and even fewer people breed them, but I didn't want your post to unanswered, so I did some quick reading up.

    I don't know nor can I find the specifics of the typical length of gravidity in plated lizards, but other species of lizards take anywhere from 4-8 weeks to actually develop and lay their eggs, so I would not be concerned if she's only at 2-3 weeks as of this post.

    However, don't cut back on her diet! She needs all the energy she can get to develop a healthy clutch of eggs. Make sure you are also regularly dusting her food with a calcium supplement.

    Do you have a nesting site available? Probably a dumb question but I just wanted to make sure. =)
     
  4. JEFFREH

    JEFFREH Administrator

    Messages:
    5,483
     
  5. David Fear

    David Fear Embryo

    Messages:
    8
    well turns out she layed 1 egg last night haha, now i have absolutley no idea of what to do with it...the egg is very big considering her size i doubt she could have anymore inside. If i could get some help getting the egg to hatch...its really soft im not sure if thats normal? Im new to the egg laying thing lol. Thanks :)
     
  6. JEFFREH

    JEFFREH Administrator

    Messages:
    5,483
     
  7. David Fear

    David Fear Embryo

    Messages:
    8
    After reading up i guess she may have laid two eggs but the male may have ate one of them.
     
  8. JEFFREH

    JEFFREH Administrator

    Messages:
    5,483
     
  9. StikyPaws312

    StikyPaws312 Moderator

    Messages:
    3,899
    Hm... I only found this on the breeding... (do you have an incubator?)

    Breeding: Breeding usually occurs only once a year after a 4 to 6 week cooling period (70° to 75°F) with shorter days. Use a healthy, well fed pair or a group that have been given extra vitamin/mineral supplements. Very bright UV light may be necessary to stimulate breeding. If successful, the female will lay 2 or more large eggs in moist soil that should be 8" or so in depth.
    For the first two months of incubation, keep the humidity high, near 100%. After that, allow the incubating medium to mostly dry out, being careful to monitor the eggs and add moisture if any indentations start to show.
    Eggs hatch in about 3 to 5 months if incubated between 82° and 85°F (a slight drop at night is ok).
    Hatchlings are hardy, voracious eating machines and will grow fast if cared for in the same way as the adults.
     
  10. JEFFREH

    JEFFREH Administrator

    Messages:
    5,483
     
  11. Cammy

    Cammy ReptileBoards Addict

    Messages:
    919
    Yeah, there is basically no information out there about breeding them. Again, probably because so few people actually do it. What Stiky posted is sadly the most descriptive information you'll find.

    Just to add to the paragraph, vermiculite or perlite are probably the best incubation substrates. They are pretty much the most universally successful substrates as far as hatch rates go. You can use sand, soil, moss, or a mix of these, but you just have to be more careful not to let the incubation container get too humid, which will cause mold and fungi to grow, killing the eggs. A couple of other sites I found also seemed to think that around 85*F was an optimal temperature to keep them at.

    I did read ONE site that said males might eat the eggs, but I can't find any solid evidence to back that up. And if he ate one egg, he'd probably eat the other. I just don't see it happening, lol. But whether they will get eaten or not, there is still a good chance the eggs will accidentally be smashed or injured with the adults running around, so you definitely want to set up a separate incubation container for them. And it's perfectly normal for them to feel rubbery; most reptile eggs do. Just don't go squishing them or bouncing them around. And I don't know if you've read this already, but it's very important you keep the eggs in the same position they were laid. They can't be rolled or turned over, or they will die. Just keep that in mind when moving them to their incubation container, or if you go to candle them or something. Speaking of candling, be very careful about candling eggs with your own homemade devices. Using a heat emitting bulb that close to the egg can obviously be fatal.

    I'm probably making this sound more complicated than it really is, so feel free to ask if you need any further help!
     
  12. David Fear

    David Fear Embryo

    Messages:
    8
    Well the egg went very discolored and smelled bad so im guessing it was infertile (it was her first egg). But thank you very much for the help..i almost spent money going to the vet but im glad i didnt! :)
     
  13. Cammy

    Cammy ReptileBoards Addict

    Messages:
    919
    Yikes, that's not good! Hopefully you'll be able to get it in a stable incubator and will have better luck next time!
     
  14. David Fear

    David Fear Embryo

    Messages:
    8
    Haha yeah, im just glad shes ok :)
     

Share This Page