Reptile & Amphibian Forums

when you put the nest into the cage just before the female lays her eggs, do you also separate the couple in order the male will not disturb her or damage the eggs or use the nest as an hiding?
Thanks a lot
Cheers
Stef

I never have but it depends a lot on enclosure size. If there were not many sleeping retreats andor a small cage I might....TC

thanks TC, always useful!
cheers

I don't seperate. I always have a lot of mulch in their encloser, and just add about 6 or 7 bags in a large mound, and she loves laying her eggs in it. My male never disturbs the area as his girl defends the nest.

Hi np27,

don't you use a nest chamber as I've always seen with Cteno,Cylura and Iguana?
I've always thought that the female needs to dig an underground chamber where she lays the eggs.
Cheers
Stef

I have put a 2'x4' piece of plywood on large 8 inch by 8 inch timbers that I put over the mound of mulch, but she didn't use it and dug the hole just outside the covered area.

...without tunnel or chamber, just like a tortoise?

When I was beginning many years ago I allowed them to dig burrows. This made the egg chamber a major job to find. I now only use nest boxes and while they would prefer to tunnel they will utilize them and its much easier for the keeper even though the kept doesn't like them as much.....TC

thanks for your experience account...
It sounds just like "make it easier than Mother Nature would!"...LOL...
Cheers
Stef

It's just like a shelter you might use for a tortoise, but I use so much mulch that I cover the front and back side completely and move some mulch away from either the front or back so she can find the chamber. There encloser is on a concrete slab so I have to use lots of mulch so she can dig down.

thanks for the advice and congrats for the pic...just a very nice method to let the iguana calm down between your hands.

We were interducing my female to the male for the second time. The first time she bit him in his arm and I had to take him in for some stiches. So this time I thought of tapeing her mouth shut until she realized the male wasn't going to harm her. He breed her right away, and after about 2 hours I took the tape off and they have lived happily ever after.

Ouch!
What a very territorial female you got there!
I simply love the habits and behaviours of those iguanas. One of my female too showed, since the very first time I grouped together 2.2 yearlings, the same tendencies to take the other specimens away from her "spaces" without being intimidated by the alpha male.
Cheers
Stef