Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My friend has has a pair of AWD's of breeding age yet they do not breed. we have tried everything except lowering the temp. substantually to simulaTE winter temps. Could this be the problem? does anyone know the temp they should be kept at during the winter light cycle?

your help would be greatly appreciated,
THE BORG

hibernation is of great importance to physignathus l. lesueurii. they start in october and remain in hibernation until march. this however is done while housed outside.(langerwerf) but you can also do this by lowering the temps along with the basking(do make sure to provide with plenty of water)and take them out every so often to drink etc when in hibernation(bartlet). this however is done when hibernated in side. then after two weeks when the animals empty their digestive tract and dig a burrow or go to sleep in their hide box, you can then place them into a moist(not wet) shoe box filled with a subsrate of peat or spahgnum. them place into a climately controlled refridgerator for about three to four months. then when they awake (all this assuming you check on them about every week or so), place them back into their cage with temps etc up and running. in about two to three weeks breeding should take place. side note: it is however strongly recommended that lesueurii be kept outside where hibernation/breeding will be done naturally and without the stress of attempting indoors.
P.

thanks thats what we figured at what temp would you recommend for hibernation?

greatly appreciated,
BORG

drop from room temp to about 55 degrees(bartlet). do yourself a favor and periodically take the lizards out and offer some water for them. when hibernating outside they will come out to bask on warmer days when the sun is out(langerwerf) so mimic this by periodically taking them out and offering water then returning them to the hibernation box(bartlet) with these types of measures, you can rarely go wrong. but you might want to speak with bert langerwerf on this matter as there are many things that can go wrong. especially with a person who has never attempted this before. food that is left in the digestive tract can cause alot of problems, so make sure all food is out of the animals prior to hibernation. dont forget to contact bert as he may be better able to assist you. hope all goes well
P.

Please be careful about hibernating these animals unless you have some experience. Many people have killed their dragons from lack of experience. If I were you I would email Bert and ask what a "first timer" is safest doing.
Many people put their tegus/wd's in a small box and place them in a basement...only to come back to a dead lizard.
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NiCoLe RuSSeLL

"Cross a line enough times and after a while it ceases to exist"

ist usually not the temp only the fact that for the first two weeks prior to hibernation the animals were coming out for brief periods to bask. the owners unaware of the still digesting food in the gut decide to put the animals away for the winter. the food sours in the gut and in two months the animal is dead. this is very misfortunate.
P.

yes, Portillo this is the most common way the poor animals die. ....but you still have to watch your temps...the whole thing just scares me. With certain animals if they miss one one hibernation they will loose perminent interest in reproduction, even if the owner hibernates them each year after.
While I'm not sure if this is true of WD's I know this is seen in Tegus.
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NiCoLe RuSSeLL

"Cross a line enough times and after a while it ceases to exist"

dont worry i will email bert in order to better understand the dangers and processes of doing so. my freind and I are expereninced enough to know that you must exhuaust all viable rersources of information before making any desicisons on the care of are herps. And thats why i love this forum what would take me weeks or months to find on my own i just ask all the experinced people here and the ball starts rolling in a good direction with viable info and connections.
THANKs
THE BORG

yes rowad, you are correct. it is a bit of a big step. as previously stated, these animals are best housed outside. reproduction, overall health etc. are exceptionally better when this is done. you know, i still haven't been able to find any conclusive evidence that would lead me to believe that housing them inside for the first year or two would halt the chance of the animals in question to breed when finally housed outside. RUN SENTENCE I KNOW I KNOW. natural instinct "I" assume would take over and they would eat, sleep, hibernate, breed, and lay eggs as if in the wild. and they would in fact be a wild animal again. of course who am i predict what these animals after millions of years of evolution will do. these are just thoughts conjured up after three years of research before i finally took the plunge and ordered a pair or four.
P.

Please be careful about hibernating these animals unless you have some experience. Many people have killed their dragons from lack of experience. If I were you I would email Bert and ask what a "first timer" is safest doing.
Many people put their tegus/wd's in a small box and place them in a basement...only to come back to a dead lizard.
-----
NiCoLe RuSSeLL

"Cross a line enough times and after a while it ceases to exist"