Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I'm about to purchase a large quantity of sphagnum moss to make my entire female enclosure a nest box, ala Dr. Sewards method in the book. Was wondering if anyone has tried other media. For example, cypress mulch would be much more economical and would seem to retain moisture without wetness. Any experience?

I am still working on the ideal substrate/method for egg laying--I'm not there yet.

The concern is that if an adequate environment is not provided the female may hold on to the eggs longer than is ideal. Once the eggs are shelled, if they are retained too long the embryos could die.

If your cage is large enough, I would use a separate laying box within the cage. Put the opening to it in the lid to keep the female from pulling out all the substrate. I would also use an opaque container to keep light out. Personally, I would not hesitate to use cypress mulch. I would also try to have the temps in the egg box around a constant 84 degs F or so.

Mark

Have you revised the ambient temp up a bit, as it is 80 degrees in the book? Do you see any problems with turning off the heat pads earlier than just before laying and making the cage/room temp 80-84?

In my new cages, the “below ground” section of the cage will have a constant temp day and night (no gradient). The “above ground” section will vary in temp from day and night with a gradient. So, most of the time the Gilas will be at a temp that I select (“underground”) and not a temp that they select.

In the typical cage setup, I still see value in providing a thermal gradient—especially until I get the temps all worked out in detail. That being said, if you frequently monitor the body temps of your lizards, you will see some pretty consistent temps (especially in the spring). You should have no problem providing those same temps for them without the gradient.

Make sense?

Mark