Reptile & Amphibian Forums

This morning while feeding Digit and misting his cage he
postured up (as he always does, but doesn't scare me).
Something came out just a little ways a couple of times.
He is 13 months old now and his femoral pores sure look
like a male.

Was it what I think it was and if so why did he do that?

Sorry, my older ig is female
Linda

This is long but funny, not my personal story, it was emailed to me from a friend...

Lizard Birthing Story

If you have raised kids (or been one), and gone through the pet syndrome including toilet-flush burials for dead goldfish, the story below will have you laughing out LOUD!

Overview: I had to take my son's lizard to the vet.

Here's what happened:

Just after dinner one night, my son came up to tell me there was "something wrong" with one of the two lizards he holds prisoner in his room. "He's just lying there looking sick," he told me. "I'm serious, Dad. Can you help?"

I put my best lizard-healer expression on my face and followed him into his bedroom. One of the little lizards was indeed lying on his back, looking stressed. I immediately knew what to do. "Honey," I called, "come look at the lizard!"

Oh my gosh," my wife diagnosed after a minute. "She's having babies."

"What?" my son demanded. "But their names are Bert and Ernie, Mom!"

I was equally outraged. "Hey, how can that be? I thought we said we didn't want them to reproduce," I accused my wife.

"Well, what do you want me to do, post a sign in their cage?" she inquired. (I actually think she said this sarcastically!)

"No, but you were supposed to get two boys!" I reminded her, (in my most loving, calm, sweet voice, while gritting my teeth together).

"Yeah, Bert and Ernie!" my son agreed.

"Well, it's just a little hard to tell on some guys, you know," she informed me. (Again with the sarcasm, you think?)

By now the rest of the family had gathered to see what was going on. I shrugged, deciding to make the best of it. "Kids, this is going to be a wondrous experience, I announced. "We're about to witness the miracle of birth."

"OH, Gross!", they shrieked.

"Well, isn't THAT just Great! What are we going to do with a litter of tiny little lizard babies?" my wife wanted to know. (I really do think she was being snotty here, too. don't you?)

We peered at the patient. After much struggling, what looked like a tiny foot would appear briefly, vanishing a scant second later. "We don't appear to be making much progress," I noted.

"It's breech," my wife whispered, horrified.

"Do something, Dad!" my son urged.

"Okay, okay." Squeamishly, I reached in and grabbed the foot when it next appeared, giving it a gingerly tug. It disappeared. I tried several more times with the same results.

"Should I call 911?" my eldest daughter wanted to know. "Maybe they could talk us through the trauma." (You see a pattern here with the females in my house?)

"Let's get Ernie to the vet," I said grimly.

We drove to the vet with my son holding the cage in his lap. "Breathe, Ernie, breathe," he urged.

"I don't think lizards do Lamaze," his mother noted to him. (Women can be so cruel to their own young. I mean what she does to me is one thing, but this boy is of her womb, for God's sake.)

The vet took Ernie back to the examining room and peered at the little animal through a magnifying glass.

"What do you think, Doc, a C-section?" I suggested scientifically.

"Oh, very interesting," he murmured. "Mr. and Mrs. Cameron, may I speak to you privately for a moment?"

I gulped, nodding for my son to step outside. "Is Ernie going to be okay?" my wife asked.

"Oh, perfectly," the vet assured us. "This lizard is not in labor. In fact, that isn't EVER going to happen... Ernie is a boy. You see, Ernie is a young male. And occasionally, as they come into maturity, like most male species, they um....um....masturbate.

Just the way he did, lying on his back."

He blushed, glancing at my wife. "Well, you know what I'm saying, Mr.. Cameron."

We were silent, absorbing this. "So Ernie's just...just...Excited," my wife offered.

"Exactly," the vet replied, relieved that we understood.

More silence.

Then my viscous, cruel wife started to giggle. And giggle. And then even laugh loudly.

"What's so funny?" I demanded, knowing, but not believing that the woman I married would commit the upcoming affront to my flawless manliness.

Tears were now running down her face. "It's just...that... I'm picturing you pulling on its...its...teeny little..." she gasped for more air to bellow in laughter once more.

"That's enough," I warned. We thanked the Veterinarian and hurriedly bundled the lizards and our son back into the car. He was glad everything was going to be okay.

"I know Ernie's really thankful for what you've done, Dad," he told me.

"Oh, you have NO idea," my wife agreed, collapsing with laughter.

2 - lizards - $140...

1 - Cage - $50... Trip to the Vet - $30...

Memory of your husband pulling on a lizard's wacker ....Priceless...

-
-----
Lyns Lair
Frogwatch USA
WNY Herpetological Society

0.1 Cat (Mia)
4.2 Ferrets (Wolf, Shadow, Verdell, Sullivan, Boo, Peach)
1.0 Carpet Python (Bear)
1.0 Malagasy Blonde Hognose Snake (Wilbur)
1.0 Yellow / Everglades Rat Snake (Pumpkin)
1.0 Russian Sand Boa (Fang)
0.1 Normal Corn Snake (Mysty)
1.0 Anery Corn Snakes (Suezo)
1.0 Banded Water Snake (Ripley)
0.1 Golden Greek Tortoise (Sunshine)
0.2 Mississippi Mud Turtles (working on names)
1.0 Green Iguana (Norbert)
1.0 Whites Tree Frog (Trevor)
2.0 Solomon Island Eyelash Frogs (Chompy & Gimli)
1.0 AFT Gecko (Cocoa)
5.5 Leopard Geckos (Trouble, Scooter, Simba, Firenze, Teddy, Mystique, Freckles, Dotty, Zipper, Twister)

That was to funny....lol

-----
1.0.0 adopted iguana
0.0.2 Hedgehogs

My Email

YOU DONT OWN YOUR IGUANA, YOUR IGUANA OWNS YOU

HAPPINESS IS LIKE PEEING ON YOURSELF, EVERYONE CAN SEE IT BUT ONLY YOU CAN FEEL THE WARMTH

OK Lyn, I'll have you know that I mass mailed that story to all my friends & they're all hooting about it. That or one reply was "that's just WRONG!"

Hehe...good one.

Terri~

n/p

I surely didn't mean to suggest that your Iguana was Um Er, well, what the lizard in the story was doing. To the best of my knowledge that activity is only known in humans. I could be wrong, but I don't believe "everting" in Lizards is done for the same purpose/benefit (whichever way you choose to look at it). I had an adult Savannah Monitor that used to show off his manliness all the time. Was really embarassing when I'd take him in public, like to the local pet store for a visit. He'd be walking around and all of a sudden WHAM there is is! Hanging out for all to see. Then he'd just get that one put away and WHAM out would come the other LOL. I swear he did it just to embarras me! I think they might scent mark when they evert. Not sure with Iggys, but it seemed my Savannah would do it as if he was "marking" although I never saw any liquid come out. I'm sorry I cannot offer you any real reason for the behavior in an Iggy. I'm still new to the game (I've had Norbert 2 weeks today).
-----
Lyns Lair
Frogwatch USA
WNY Herpetological Society

0.1 Cat (Mia)
4.2 Ferrets (Wolf, Shadow, Verdell, Sullivan, Boo, Peach)
1.0 Carpet Python (Bear)
1.0 Malagasy Blonde Hognose Snake (Wilbur)
1.0 Yellow / Everglades Rat Snake (Pumpkin)
1.0 Russian Sand Boa (Fang)
0.1 Normal Corn Snake (Mysty)
1.0 Anery Corn Snakes (Suezo)
1.0 Banded Water Snake (Ripley)
0.1 Golden Greek Tortoise (Sunshine)
0.2 Mississippi Mud Turtles (working on names)
1.0 Green Iguana (Norbert)
1.0 Whites Tree Frog (Trevor)
2.0 Solomon Island Eyelash Frogs (Chompy & Gimli)
1.0 AFT Gecko (Cocoa)
5.5 Leopard Geckos (Trouble, Scooter, Simba, Firenze, Teddy, Mystique, Freckles, Dotty, Zipper, Twister)

"This activity has only been noted in humans"

As an OT matter of interest and a bit of trivia, higher primates have been known to do this, too (gorillas, chimps, mandrills, baboons). We used to have a chimp at the zoo. He was the only one who's name the public new by heart... Happy Happy was quite exhibitionistic, and showed everyone why he was so happy on a regular basis. Sadly, several years ago a bunch of chimps escaped. Several were killed during the incident, and one of those was Happy.

Dolphins have also been known to engage in stimulatory behaviors, and are among the only animals who engage in sexual intercourse for fun (that is, not just for reproduction).

Some pet birds have also been known to rub their reproductive parts against humans marked as mates (humans they've bonded to) and this is sometimes referred to as masterbation. Of course, nobody is sure whether it is or not... but the birds seem to enjoy it!

So... I don't know... as much as I love my iguana, I wouldn't consider him an animal of higher intelligence. However, it's entirely possible that this is something they're capable of

Sorry about the OT post... just had to add that bit - thought someone might find it interesting

Have a good day

Alika

Oh My, I had no idea! Missed that episode on Discovery obviously LOL... Sorry about Happy. That must have been interesting watching the parents try to explain to the kids what Happy was doing! I know there is some kind of monkey, can't remember what kind, that mate constantly, it's like shaking hands to you or I, a way of saying hello. I did catch that episode! The bird thing is kinda freaky.
-----
Lyns Lair
Frogwatch USA
WNY Herpetological Society

0.1 Cat (Mia)
4.2 Ferrets (Wolf, Shadow, Verdell, Sullivan, Boo, Peach)
1.0 Carpet Python (Bear)
1.0 Malagasy Blonde Hognose Snake (Wilbur)
1.0 Yellow / Everglades Rat Snake (Pumpkin)
1.0 Russian Sand Boa (Fang)
0.1 Normal Corn Snake (Mysty)
1.0 Anery Corn Snakes (Suezo)
1.0 Banded Water Snake (Ripley)
0.1 Golden Greek Tortoise (Sunshine)
0.2 Mississippi Mud Turtles (working on names)
1.0 Green Iguana (Norbert)
1.0 Whites Tree Frog (Trevor)
2.0 Solomon Island Eyelash Frogs (Chompy & Gimli)
1.0 AFT Gecko (Cocoa)
5.5 Leopard Geckos (Trouble, Scooter, Simba, Firenze, Teddy, Mystique, Freckles, Dotty, Zipper, Twister)

i have a green amazon parot and it does this weird mating dance then starts ummmmm....how do i say this.....humping its perch.
-----
brandy

Male ungelded horses have been proven to indulge in this activity as well though generally without ejaculation... Dolphins.. Whales... Most Great ape species..

As for large lizards who evert... they are generally scent marking because they'll rub against whatever surface they're on to leave behind their "signature" Females and males will do this to makr what they see as their property or just to advertise their presence.
-----
Lucien

1.1 Columbian Redtail Boa (BCI)(Sutekh and Isis)
3.5.3 Leopard geckos (2.0 Blizzards (Caine and Goliath), 0.1 Tangerine Albino (Tequila Sunrise ...Tiki for short), 1.0 Rainwater Albino (Mycah), 0.4 Poss. Het. Albino (Annika, Lace, Rain and Aris) and 0.0.3 dbl. het blizzard x tang albino (Malice, Malfeas, and Mystique))
0.1 Savannah Monitor (Kiros)
13 rats
2 Dogs (Loki and Storm)
3 cats (Ashe, Sahara and Hercules)
6 Fish (4 Red Danios, 1 Cardinal Fish, and 1 Tiger Barb)
8 Ramshorn snails
"And a Partridge in a Pear Tree!"

>> I know there is some kind of monkey, can't remember what kind, that mate constantly, it's like shaking hands to you or I, a way of saying hello.

That's not a monkey, that's a bonobo. The bonobo is also known as a pygmy chimp... They're even more closely related to humans than ordinary chimpanzees are. (Bonobos share about 99% of their DNA with humans, I believe.) Bonobos are like hippies... "Make love, not war." But they live it.