Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My Female Collared may be gravid. She is pretty fat and now has bright orange streaks along he neck that I don't think were there before. My big problem is that I have her and my male on carpet, because sand was hurting Squirt's (the female's) eyes when she was a baby. Will she lay eggs on the carpet? My boyfriend told me that she wouldn't, and that she'll hold the eggs in until she dies from it. This doesn't sound right to me, but being that these are my first reptiles, I just don't know. Also, should I seperate my two lizards? If she does lay eggs, do I move them out of the cage? Any information would be helpful. Thank you very much!
-Laurie

I did not hibernate my lizards this year (or ever, for that matter) and I thought they had to hibernate to reproduce. please reccommend what I should do so my Squirt can lay her eggs if she is gravid! thank you again!
-Laurie

hi and welcome to the forum
you are in the almost exact same position i was in two months ago. i have never hibernated my lizards and ivan the girl shows up with orange spots all over her. she laid her eggs and then she laid another clutch like 12 days ago. she definitely needs sand to lay the eggs. they burrow into it, like they disappear for a day or so. she will need like five inches of sand to dig into. if you do not want to have sand in the whole cage you can always make a box, which is what i did. i found a plastic box about 12X6X6 inches and filled it with sand and kept the sand damp. when the time was ready she dug in it and laid her eggs both times. here are some steps that i remember and i am sure others will add.

five inches of sand and keep it damp (if you are putting sand in the whole cage just stack it up that high in one corner but the others will have to tell you about how to do that)
extra extra calcium
once she lays, get a deli cup, like something they put pasta salad in at the deli (but the short ones) and put vermiculite in it and make it damp. push you finger lightly into the sand like you are giving a fingerprint to cradle the eggs
take the eggs out and make sure that they stay up the same way they were laid.
keep the eggs under a lamp and keep the temp at like 82 degrees and keep a lid on the container with a hole about the size of a quarter
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vonnie
***One of the advantages of being disorderly is that one is constantly making exciting discoveries. - A. A. Milne***

Ok, I'll make a box for her to lay in tonight. Was your box just open on the top, or did you put any openings in the sides? Does she just dig down from the top into the sand? Please le tme know!

Thanks again!

using bricks is a good way, 2 bricks set up in a corner of tank in an L shape.

Meaning with the back and 1 side being the tanks glass, and the bricks being a side and front, with a little opening, or space between brick and glass for an enterance for her, to get in and out. Put a flat rock or roof on your squared nest!

I use a piece of slate for a roof, but anything sturdy and flat.

Fill the square with about 3-4 inches of dampened sand.

Sometimes they choose to dig and lay somewhere else, (they can be fickle) but hey shes a mom to be so ya have to make things they way she wants, hehehehe.

If she decides to dig somewhere else just dampen some sand and put it in a corner, or where she wants it.

I find that if you put her in the nest a couple times show her the enterance, they will use it.

Also your boyfriend makes a good point, IF they dont feel as though they have a suitable place to lay they sometimes wont!

I also, would NOT heat the eggs with a lamp heating them from above. My opinion, it can be very drying. It is usually done by keeping in a container either in a room where the temps will not go below high 70's or above 90.

Or a regular incubator, or I have heard people sitting the egg container On top of a fish light, and heating from bottom (ask JohnE about that)

But never under a hot lamp ! Others may want to comment about that.

Hope Splash does fine

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Eve

with my very limited experience, i put the box in there with a lid and cut a large hole in the lid and she absolutely hated the box, would not go near it. i took the lid off and she would hang out in the box and sometimes the other lizards too. (i put the box on the end of the cage that i noticed them in the most) since it is best to dampen the sand by mixing it with your hands, the sand was all uneven on top and she took the time to dig around and level it. what a strange lizard. anyway she did just dig from the top to the bottom when the time came and she even sealed off her hole by pushing the sand back up. i used a clear box and since she laid them at the bottom, once she emerged i could see if there really were eggs in there by lifting the box and looking at the bottom, although the lizards do look very deflated once they lay the eggs. they do like to dig a couple times and keep lizard grandmas to be on their toes!
i would listen to eve's advice on incubating the eggs because she has done this many more times than i have! i am only replying to you because i actually used a box and not just part of the sand in the tank. there are many other "eggs-perts" on this forum!
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vonnie
***One of the advantages of being disorderly is that one is constantly making exciting discoveries. - A. A. Milne***

really DIGS lizards, hehehehehe !

There are many on here that have much much experience on eggs.
But I just mentioned the part about heating them under a lamp,
I PERSONALLY would NOT !

I JUST talk to the animals, right Johneee, the WRANGLER ?? LMAO
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Eve

so we have a dr doolittle on our forum? i talk to my lizards but they never seem to listen or respond except everyonce in a while walter segundo will happen to flick his tongue at me the same time that i ask for a kiss ha ha! i keep hoping he will turn into a prince!
well i moved my eggs over to their long lamp and it is sitting on it for now. i just don't have a room that maintains a constant temp and has lamps near it. maybe i should move a lamp into the bathroom ha ha.
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vonnie
***One of the advantages of being disorderly is that one is constantly making exciting discoveries. - A. A. Milne***

I have done 2 incubator and a easy way to do it is to get
an aquarium heater, 2 brick, one flat plastic sheet and a tank or a box that can hold water.

you put the 2 brick in the tank, put the submersible water heater in the bottom, add 2-3 inch of water (about 1/2 inch before
submerging the bricks) and put the plastic sheet on them.
you put a rubbermaid half full of vermiculite (dry) and you
put the eggs in. you make some 1/4 inch hole on the lid and you
close it.
put a saran wrap on the tank so it can hold humidity.
eggs will take the water it need by the relative humidity.