Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Mom finally hung my (100w)MVB. She has it about 1' above my basking spot. Right now, she has it on from 8:00 a.m. until noon. Is this long enough? Should the reptisun,too? It's not as warm as I thought - so can she move it closer? Is there concern other than burning me or is that the main reason for the distance? OR can she have my basking light (60w reg. bulb) on as well?? Because of all these eggs I have a more difficult time moving around in the morning and I don’t sleep anywhere near my basking spot.

Eating. She told me that I shouldn't eat much b/c I need to make sure I have room for all these eggs. She offered me a cricket yesterday and yummmm. She offered me another, but I seem to have a slight problem with my tongue (I think it is just being lazy!) and I couldn't get it - but I wanted it. What should I tell her to limit her offering to? She offers me Repta-aid and sometimes I like to have that (even though as you can see in the picture it gets a little messy!).

She's still learning, so I figured I would check with you myself!

thanks!
Luna & lele

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0.1 veiled - Luna
0.2 green anoles Jaida & Jetta
0.1 brown anole - Jamaica
0.2 house geckos - Gaia & Tia
0.2 felines - Kyndra and Líta

Ok, Iiced the problem with the tongue. ONE of my females had this , and it ended badly. In her case, she was mated ytoo young, and was being fed too much. She developed too many eggs, and her tongue feel out--really. She couldn't retract it after the eggs were removed(she was too young, and her oviduct was not fully "in placE". she ended up swallowing it, and I had to feed and water her by hand.

This is often from a calcium problem, and these can be brought about by too many eggs. This is NOT ALWAYS the case, as it could be an injury, but I figured you wouldn't mind some various possible explainations either.

How old is she, and how much was she eating before she developed eggs? She was not mated, correct??

what kind of supplements and how often was she getting them.

As far as the MV bulb, you're right, they are nto that warm. Because of theat, I positioned it closer to the topof thae cage. What that did was up the UVB so high, that my veild would only stay under it for an hour at most. When I lifted it to about 20" away from his normal basking site, and put a 120 W bulb off to the side, he was happy. he would just move off to the othe rbulb when he was done. This made me figure that 3 hours a dfay was about all they needed(of the MV bulb).

He also tended to do most of his basking in the morning, and the later baskings were usually NOT under the MV bulb. I would put it on WITH the regular 60 W bulb in the morning, and keep the MV bulb on for about 2 hours, from 8-10, or so. And sure, use the reptisun as well, I don't see it hurting at all.

Because she is gravid, I would keep the MV bulb on longer, at least long enough to see how much she stays there. Gravid females bask MUCH more, and she may want to stay under it a while, especially if she's having to pull calcium out of her system to calcify those eggs.

But definatly use the basking bulb as well.

good luck

When she gives you the amounts keep in mind that this is an extremely tiny female. I gave her to LeLe because she was abnormally small, that and the stub tail. I did not want to sell her and wanted to give her to someone who would take good care of her and would not try breeding her.
I think she is less than 4 inches snout to vent but double check her new stats with LeLe.
Thanks for your input it has been difficult figuring out feeding amounts and supplements.
I am used to her huge sibling (who just laid an infertile clutch also)
Sonia

Eric,

I am not too worried about my tongue b/c I do use it sometime. Sometimes I am just too tired. As my foster mom (anson/Sonia) pointed out, I am only 4" s/v and 8 months old - this whole ordeal is pretty tiresome. Oops – there’s a fly! Shoot, damn missed -but my tongue shot quite well!

I think we'll leave the MV right where it is for now. I asked her to put on the basking light, too so I am toasty - but plenty of room to go get cool if I want. One of these days, I will make it down there to that warm, moist laying tub and get rid of these damn eggs!

I had quite a healthy appetite until the first week of Dec. then Mom went away for a week and I have been eating minimal since then. She is giving me .07cc N-Cg twice a day just as the vet prescribed so I think I’m getting plenty of that. You are right, I am a virgin so it is hard to know when this all really began so we’re just not sure when it’ll all be over.

Thanks for your help – Between you and Sonia I think we have something to work with regarding the lights.

Luna & her concerned Mom
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0.1 veiled - Luna
0.2 green anoles Jaida & Jetta
0.1 brown anole - Jamaica
0.2 house geckos - Gaia & Tia
0.2 felines - Kyndra and Líta

Tell mommy to follow the directions on the MV light and not put it closer or you could get too much uv and hurt your eyes. The reptisun is totally safe it can be on all day or come on after the MV light goes off. The MV light can come on from 4 to 8 hours a day but should not be on more than that.
As for eating tell mommy you are preggers and eating for 40 even though they are not fertile eggs. She can offer you as much food as you will eat on your own right now. You need to be able to produce those eggs and need all the nutrition you want.
Where she needs to be carefull is with the repta aid. If food is forced on you there may not be enough food for food lungs and eggs. If allowed to eat it on your own (even with some help getting it) you will know not to eat so much that it will hurt you.
Oh about the basking and MV light being on at the same time that is fine as long as mommy checks the temperature to make sure it is not overheating you.
Your ex-mommy,
Sonia

I mean with the repta aid being forced there may not be enough room for food lungs and eggs.
It pays to proof read.

LOL! I actually read it the way you meant it...had to go back to find your mistake!

Thanks. I know you gave me "directions" before but until I actually got the light up I was sort of - well, in the dark!

OK, so as for the repta-aid she will eat more than she should as opposed to eating crix?
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0.1 veiled - Luna
0.2 green anoles Jaida & Jetta
0.1 brown anole - Jamaica
0.2 house geckos - Gaia & Tia
0.2 felines - Kyndra and Líta

If you are putting it into her mouth it is just easier for her to swallow it than to spit it out because it is liquid. If you are opening her mouth and putting it in don't over do it.
If she has free choice like licking it on her own then she probably will just stop when she is full.
When my females were gravid due to mating I let them have all the food they wanted while the eggs were developing so they would have the proper nutrition for making eggs and the strength for laying them. Prior to them being gravid I limited their food intake so it would limit the size of the clutch when she did become gravid.
As the time for laying drew near they usually stop eating or eat very little since there is not as much room in that body cavity as before. Then they get restless for a day or two and move around the cage a lot right before they lay them.

Oh, no, it is just from a dropper so she stops when she wants. The only thing I am forcing is the N-Cg and that is quick and easy - then I give her the RA or offer her a cricket or silkie to take her mind off it. I have tiny silkies for my other herps so I just put a little bundle of them (maybe 6-10 1/2" in a shallow dish and she goes right for them. So she does still seem to have an appetite.

BUT...she is acting a little weird. At one point she sort of stretched her body and neck/head up, almost like she was trying to re-adjust her innards and getting everything settled. Then she was sort of squatting so I thought she might poop - or drop an egg! - she hasn't been pooping, but she has had mainly liquid meals - should I be worried about that? As she stretched, it seemed like there were the equivalent of mild "contractions." Nothing that I worried about (can you believe it? me - not worry??) b/c it just sort of made sense. Have you, or anyone else, seen this before laying? I sure as hell hope it means the time is very near!

I put her in the laying box one last time, she sat there for a minute then scrambled (I put her back up on a branch so she doesn't need to use her energy - since she didn't go down there on her own )

She definitely seems to prefer to be more upright at night. She's been sleeping in the same place but tonight she is half on a branch and holding onto the screen. she also seemed to be breathing heavy for a few minutes. Well, heavy for a cham since you don't really see it, but has stopped now and I just put her last light out.

Are these signs??????????????? I just hope her little body can do it on its own. That is my biggest worry!
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0.1 veiled - Luna
0.2 green anoles Jaida & Jetta
0.1 brown anole - Jamaica
0.2 house geckos - Gaia & Tia
0.2 felines - Kyndra and Líta

Have you noticed that Luna typoes a lot less than her mommy??

Hmmm.......

Maybe Luna is the REAL genius!
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Raf

1.2 Jacksons Adults (Frank, Patty, Lucille)
0.0.1 Jackson's baby (George, R.I.P. 11/17/2003)
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