Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Ok, serious question here. Alligator lizards aren't one of those sperm retaining lizards are they? Please say no, after all, the eggs just hatched ( I have 7 babies! yay!). My mama lizard is in the terraruim all by herself and hasn't been around any other lizards since we got her on July 4th, but she has maybe doubled her weight since we got her 2 1/2 months ago. I don't know what to think, she shed about a month ago and has been eating fine. Is this just normal growth or could she possibly be knocked up again?

I don't know, but it is possible they retain.
I heard of a kingsnake that had been left alone for seven years that laid a clutch, one of which hatched. That case may have been cloning, though.
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3.0 WC; 0.2 CB L. getula californiae
0.1 WC; 0.0.10 CH Elgaria multicarinata multicarinata

Oh please say it ain't so! I sure hope not, lol.

I kind of doubt it.
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3.0 WC; 0.2 CB L. getula californiae
0.1 WC; 0.0.10 CH Elgaria multicarinata multicarinata

In my experience, als tend to only lay one clutch a year. They also do not seem to retain viable sperm over the winter so to get fertile eggs they would need to be bred again. Unbred females will often still lay a clutch every year, but the eggs will be infertile. Als are somewhat prone to obesity (they're pigs!) so if she's looking that plump you may want to scale back on the food.

Congrats on the new babies,
Alice

Oh that is wonderful news! Glad to know she's another woman who's gotten fat after having kids, I am so releived! So she could actually lay eggs again, BUT they will be infertile correct?

Infertile eggs tend to be smaller and yellow rather than white.
It should be pretty easy to determine.
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3.0 WC; 0.2 CB L. getula californiae
0.1 WC; 0.0.10 CH Elgaria multicarinata multicarinata

I just examined my female - she definitely is now overweight as well, considerably.

Diet time for her too.

I'm going to brumate her this winter (I'm going to breed next year), so perhaps it isn't the end of the world, but she's definitely fatter than wild lizards around here are, by quite a bit.

Maybe I can get her a weight watchers contract and profit off of this ...
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3.0 WC; 0.2 CB L. getula californiae
0.1 WC; 0.0.10 CH Elgaria multicarinata multicarinata

You're going to do what with her??! Let me know if you get that contract, my lizard will be there with bells on!

Haha - I'm not going to breed with her, just provide her with a good looking stud

Since she was collected within a mile of my home, and there are alligator lizards that occasionally come onto my property, I'm going to find her a nice male - and next years hatchlings get released into my yard (after their first meal of pinheads).

I know, fish and game says written permission is needed, but I don't think it is that big of a deal. They are worried about animals being released where they don't belong and exotic disease transmission.

The first isn't an issue, she (and her mate next year) are not only local subspecies, but local population.

The second is possibly an issue, but if the hatchlings are hatched in fresh media, fed, and then released - I don't see them picking up any exotic diseases that they could take to the wild.

Impact on wild population will be minimal, most hatchlings never make it adulthood. Cars have a bigger impact on local population -just last night I found a flattened gorgeous deep red coloured male

He would have been a good mate for her, but a tire found him first.
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3.0 WC; 0.2 CB L. getula californiae
0.1 WC; 0.0.10 CH Elgaria multicarinata multicarinata