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after a couple of false starts, we got our first good clutch of Gilas for 2004. i pulled these out of their spot before i snapped the pic, but you can see where they were at the bottom of the trough where the metal bottom shows through. they were fully buried and covered over. four great eggs and no slugs from one of our smaller females. still a number of females to go, i am keeping my fingers crossed

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robyn@proexotics.com

Pro Exotics Reptiles

Robyn ;

Very interesting .... You must have a good reason you use such deep substrate for nesting - could you explain ?

we keep the Gilas basically the same as our monitor setups. there is 2 ft of burrowable soil, and basking spots that run over 130F. there are hide spots up top, but most of the time the Gilas dig their own burrows and spend time in there.

we started this type of setup last season, so we are still looking to fine tune it for the Gilas, but i am pretty happy with our progress so far

for egg laying, the Gilas act just like the monitors. they dig a laying burrow, typically all the way to the bottom of the trough, they lay their eggs, and then cover it up, backfilling as they work their way back to the surface. there is no chamber or air space around the eggs. they also had little interest in the man made burrows we provided in the beginning, much prefering to dig their own. now we don't dig anything, just let the Gilas do it.

there are a wide variety of temperature zones in the soil to lay in, they always choose 78/79F at the spot they lay

those are the very quick basics
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robyn@proexotics.com

Pro Exotics Reptiles

A friend in AZ who did field research for years and years and who of course had permits to house Gilas kept them buy letting them having the run of an old greenhouse. He told me anytime he found a gravid one in the greenhouse and set her up, got the eggs and artificially incubated them, he'd never get babies.

He said anytime one of these gravid ones made their own burrow where he couldn't get to the eggs and thus letting them be whereever they were laid, the next spring there would always be baby Gilas walking around.

we definitely dig them up and incubate the eggs, but i am dying to leave some to hatch and see what happens
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robyn@proexotics.com

Pro Exotics Reptiles

Another friend of mine who has only been successful in hatching Gilas once despite years of attempts, was only successful the year he had a similar set up as yours and left the eggs alone. That year he had 7 out of 7 hatch. Coincidence or what ?

I'm wondering just how deep they'd dig an egg chamber . Yours went the full two feet but what if you had given her three feet of soil ... wonder where she'd stop ? Would she stop at the 78/79 degree temp or would she have even went deeper where it would be even cooler ???

Like you, I'm curious about leaving them right where she wanted them ... have enough gravid ones this year to try it ?

i am sure they would go deeper than 2 ft, and i would like to know exactly how deep they might go, although i think it would be less than four...

as for temperature, they want to lay the eggs at the proper incubating temperature regardless of soil depth. we offer soil that covers a full range of temps from the low 70's to the high 90's, and they choose the appropriate temperate spot. as far as the Gila is concerned, the spot she lays in is the spot that they will hatch in, so temperature is more important than depth.
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robyn@proexotics.com

Pro Exotics Reptiles

What method are you using to provide the temp gradient in the soil and what is the air temp of the room you are keeping them in?

Rich

Heey Robyn !!!

Do you remember me?!

You sent a lot of very cool T-shirts when I was in Brazil…remember?

Well I’m living in Bryn Athyn-PA now, and I still having and wearing very often those shirts.

Have you ever receive the gifts that I sent to you? I sent you a bunch of Brazilian things and a stuffed Brazilian Red Piranha…that was awesome.

Do you still practicing Brazilian Jiu-jitsu? I hope you are.

Your friend
Gabriel Nobre

PS- A friend of mine is coming to visit me, you probably have heard about him, his name is Renzo Gracie

hey Gabe, i sent you an email, let me know if you get it
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robyn@proexotics.com

Pro Exotics Reptiles

I SENT YOU AN E-MAIL...

FELICIDADES
Gabriel