Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I've witnessed my male mating with my female off and on, however as I said earlier, I'm not sure when they first copulated so I can't judge when she's going to lay her eggs accurately.

My question is, when it's time for her to lay, how extensively will the females dig? Meaning, is it going to be obvious behavior when she's digging to lay a clutch of eggs rather than just being active?

Thank you!!

Well it depends on the lizard lady, I'll give two examples of how Thelma and Bonnie laid a clutch.

Thelma was quite pregnant looking and I provided her with 3 different lay areas. Well when the day came for her to lay she ignored all and just laid them where she was resting. She had exhibited some extra digging but in the end she just layed them where she was sunning herself.

Bonnie on the other hand had done a great job on a couple of different areas. Both around the water dish and ended up laying her eggs around the dish. She then proceeded to mound 95% of the sand in the habitat up and around her clutch, she dutifully compacted the sand and stood guard not too far from her mound.

I removed both clutches sadly neither worked out.

why didnt they work out? im so afraid that once a clutch is laid im going to screw it up some how... what happened with those two clutches? im really nervious when she (lizzy) lays her eggs because they are in my hands now and i dont wanna mess it up. really nervious!!!
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Guy LoPresti
2.2 collared lizards (Lizzy,Stevie 2,Ike,Adrien)
1.1 firebelly toads
1 baby emperor scorpion (ceasar "caligula" )
( if you know what caligula means you'll get it)
4 dogs (groucho charles bugs Gracie)

Thank you for that insight. Did the eggs dry out that were laid where your female was sunning?

Well as far as Collared egg clutches go the reading that I have done on them, that are notoriously hard clutch to hatch. In my case though a combination of not properly brumating them and being their first clutch more than likely caused their failure.

With Thelma's first clutch I didn't have a hovabater so I set up something as best as I could. I had managed to grab her eggs before they did dry out.

Bonnie's clutch I had the hovabater up and running all was right with the setup including the dampness levels of the vermiculite.

From all my reading with books and here on the boards, the keys to a successful hatching are:

1. proper brumation

2. proper temperature in the hovabater

3. proper dampness levels in the vermiculite.

Collared the biggest thing to do is look at this as a time to learn don't beat yourself up if they don't succeed.

Thanks boost. I'm praying for a big clutch`