Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi, I'm new here, but I really need some serious help. My female has been digging for the last few days but isn't laying. I've provided her with a laying box outside of the cage for her and she doesn't seem to like it, as she's not been digging in there. So, I put a shoebox with moistened sand in her enclosure for her and she doesn't go near it. I need some help ASAP please! I'm very worried about my girl. Any suggestions anyone can offer would be great!
Thanks,
Kelly

hi. my female starts digging a couple weeks before she lays the eggs, so its probably quite normal. some suggestions: make sure that the sand in your box is wet enough so that you can pack it down so that when she digs is doesn't just all cave in on her. also, make sure that the sand is warm enough...keep it in a very warm part of the tank...and if you can keep a lid on it somehow so that she can still get into and out of it easily then do so, i think they prefer to have it dark and private.

a couple of questions: are you sure that she is gravid? also, what is her substrate? like, what is she digging in and where?

amanda

My immediate thought was maybe a shoebox isn't big enough. I have a female that just seemed to hate it in a laying cage, so I put a bin in her cage. She dug in it for four days solid before finally laying. A shoebox just seems a little restraining for an adult dragon trying to dig a hole big enough to crawl into.

Mike

What size box/bin do you siggest that i put in there and what do you suggest that i put in it for her to dig in? Marge and Homer live in a 60 gal reptile tank. It's 4' x 16"... I'm more than open to suggestions...
Kelly

>>What size box/bin do you siggest that i put in there and what do you suggest that i put in it for her to dig in? Marge and Homer live in a 60 gal reptile tank. It's 4' x 16"... I'm more than open to suggestions...
>>Kelly

Did she stop eating already? If so, then she is ready....

I would just continue to put her in the large laying bin you have set up for her outside of her tank. Make sure it is moist enough and packed down well. Slope it up on one side to form a "hill" and start a little hole / tunnel with a spoon. Put the heat lamp on the side with the hill of dirt and just keep putting her in there. I would say she is pretty close to laying and will eventually start digging in there and lay those eggs.

DON'T put her in the lay bin, look 30 mins later and see she hasn't dug and remove her.

Put her in there and leave her in there for several hours. I would say put her in at 9 am and if nothing, then remove her at 12pm. Then I would put her back in again around 2 pm and remove her again (if nothing) at 5 pm

Good luck and DON'T give up on the lay bin.
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Lisa
Cricket free babies!
www.beginnersbasics.com

Yeah I am sure that she's gravid. I can feel the eggs in her belly. Plus, I watched them mating on 2/19 so she should be about due to lay eggs any time now. Also, she was digging in a 60/40 mix of peat moss and sand in a big rubbermaid bin outide of her cage. This afternoon I put a smaller box of wet sand in her cage for her and she doesn't seem to care or notice that its there even though i've put her in it several times... I guess I should just wait and let her do her thing???
Kelly