Reptile & Amphibian Forums

A few questions:

One is that David Blair's site does not seem to be working, or at least I cant get it to from my computer.

second: how cycled does a male rhino need to be to breed? I have my large female cycled and ready to go, but when I put her with a friend's male (not sure where he is in his cycle), she all but threw herself at him after a little courtship behavior, and even backed herself right up to him repeatedly with her tail raised, but he could care less. When we first put them together, he went right for her, showing off and beginning to mount, but quickly lost interest. I have seperated them and reintroduced them for several hours a couple of times now, and he doesn't even notice anymore. He is 10 years old, and she is 7. When he first saw her, he went nuts, but now ignores her.

What's up?

Thanks,
nate.

It isn't breeding season .
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Stella St.Pierre
www.bluetegu.com

I understand that it isn't breeding season outside. However, the female was cycled indoors to induce breeding behavior, and that has worked as she is obviously receptive. HOwever, the male isn't, and I suppose my question was whether he really needed to be cycled. I guess so.

thanks for your response.
nate.

The females will raise tail to let the male know that she is a she, otherwise they would be fighting. Males will breed any time of the year -- regardless of cycling. The male probably lost interest because the female is not fertile.

The lifting of the tail you saw was not breeding behaviour .
It is normall for the least dominate animal in a group to do this . Both males and females will do this when they are the least dominate rhino in the group at the time it's done when new rhinos are added . (dominance within a group of rhinos cage shift from one animal to another depending on the time of year )This behaviour is basically telling the other rhino not to bite its head off. When introducing two rhinos together for the first time if you don't see one of them do this be prepared to see a huge fight , doesn't matter what sex they are .

Kept indoors or outdoors these lizards are very hard to trick as to what time of the year it is . It is very doubtfull that this female is ready to breed now .

Stella St.Pierre
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Stella St.Pierre
www.bluetegu.com

Thank you both. That was exactly the information that I needed, because that sure looked like it could be breeding behavior. I guess I will wait till the right season, then. Thanks!

nate.

Try accessing D. Blairs site from a yahoo search. If trying from cyclura.com, it seems to not always come up.

When first introduced breeding behavior is sometimes experienced. Misting water during the heat of the day will often spark the mood with males, but the females are only fertile once/year. The St.Peirres tried cycling rhinos to breed multiple times in one year, but last that I had heard, were unsuccessful. They are some of the most experienced lizard breeders. I doubt that anyone else has succeeded. Females are normally fertile for about a 2 week period in late spring/early summer. Their weight will fluxuate by up to 40% during the process of laying eggs. If a female had to do that twice in one year, it would probably die.

We have never been able to multi clutch any species of Cyclura to date =(

Currently we are only keeping rhinos . Our female regains her body weight usually within 10 days or so of laying so I don't think it has to do with body weight at all .
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Stella St.Pierre
www.bluetegu.com

10 days is pretty fast -- you have my respect. Mine usually take about 21 days to regain pre gravid weight which I consider as just one of the consequences of the egg laying process. The Process includes getting bitten up by the male during mating, Getting uncomfortbly stretched out growing the eggs, fasting cause there is no space for food in the stomach, looking for the right nest, digging it, laying the eggs, burying them, then guarding the site. I would not want to be a female iguana, and if mine had to do that year round, they would not live too long.