Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My first female lepidogaster is gravid.
She was matted with a red lipped male.

Congratulations.
I have seen picture of the red lipped dragons. Beautiful. Untill recently I just never realized how many different color variations there actually are. I am excited to be watching the changes in color morphs of a dragon I love.

Thanks!!

I agree its multo exiting and I enjoy them more then I ever enjoyed any reptiles.

I talked with a keeper in Paris (France) he started breeding capra’s in the mid 80s, he collected 2 capra’s while on vacation in Viet Nam, the regular morph, at the time he didn’t know what there where and in fact didn’t know he had a pair, this pair was brown and beige, they died in 92, however from them he produced many color morphs, some almost solid without patterning.

I will get a few from him next summer and will post more about them then.

Congratulations!

You know, I really find it frustrating that when I started working with these animals there was no information to be found. Anything that had been published stated that they were nervous and not well suited to captive care. Then we keep hearing of breeders who have been keeping them for sooooo much longer. Why are so many keepers so secretive about what they are keeping and how they do it?

Sorry, this has been an evil day at the antique shop, demanding consigners, inability to find the supplies I need, not enough hours for all the work I have to do! I think I need to go home and look at my babies!

Also, Jobi, I did take some photos. Since you are wanting high resolution do you want me to email them to you one at a time or should I set up a temp web page where you can go look at them?
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Marcia - FroggieB Dragons
www.froggieb.com/MHDHome.html

I think the vast majority of keepers do not visit these forums, most keep them in silence as reptiles aren’t exactly the most popular creatures. They are still portrayed as evil by some religions, and many culture fears them. It’s legitimate that many keep there animals secret, none of my neighbours know about my animals, and until a few years ago no one except a few friends new about my work with reptiles, in fact I was slandered generously and banned from a few sites because know body new me from Adam. This really angered me sins some of the staple reptiles in eastern Canada have been produced by me for decades, often I was the first to introduce them in the hubby. Most of my attackers kept decedents of my babies without even knowing about it, yet the where beating the crap out of me on these forums. Once my facility was vandalised and I lost 200 full grown pythons from frost, plus a few unpleasant surprises. Needles to say I closed my doors to all.

I respect and understand why most keep a low profile, however what I don’t like is those selling reptiles but offering no guidance whatsoever.

No dough we will find others who kept these dragons long-term, I know of a few Chinese and Japanese herper’s who kept them on and off from childhood. Nicolai Orlov has been studying acanthosaura from Viet Nam for many years, he goes there every year for them.

Of course give me an other 10-15 years then you could ad my name to the peoples who studied them in nature.

I need only one photo showing body scales, no need for a 6mp photo, just a nice clear shot in med jpg.
pleas email.

rgds

Do you have any insight on how long they live? Both you and Marcia know of dragons at least 12 years old. Any older?

I have no idea how long they live, but to be honest I get bored of the same lizard after 5 years, so if they are prolific, I will change my breeders more often.
This may sound cruel, but iv been keeping other herps to long, I need a little change.

How do you like these beauties?

This one is the tamest acanthosaura I own.

He looks very laid back. That's a coronata?
Mine seem to be going crazy and trying to take me with them. All the females are gravid but I don't think the younger ones will be fertile. (I'll incubate anyway). Junior has been digging. That seems to be mighty interesting to the others and they come down to look. They are digging a little but not like Junior. I have Red and Monroe (he's been a busy boy) in a separate tank. I opened the door to change the water and Monroe took a leap for the open door. I blocked him with my hand and then caught him mid air on his second try. He really wants back in the big tank with the 3 other females.

I'm not sure if the other girls are disturbing Junior. She's been digging heavily for 4 days. Even tunneling sometimes. I wouldn't want her to become stressed. I believe that could cause her not to lay and perhaps become eggbound. I do worry so much. I do not run to the vet as much as I used to though.
I am thinking of putting a divider in of some sort.

Good nesting options is vital for captive lizards, 4 days of test digging tells me you have poor options. In my care females of any species will go down once and nest, if they start test digging several times, then I know I have to give better options.

Nesting options are substrata, hydration, temperatures.

I find tropical forest species prefer nesting in decaying leaf litter, sphagnum moss, saw dust, poor options for them are dirt, sand, gravel, clay because these are to opact and retain water too much, something they need to avoid in tropical rain forest, they will nest in drainable substrata that will allow water to evacuate.

My personal choice is sphagnum moss, 6-8in deep works fine.

Hydration; this is easy to control, simply add water to one of your cage corner as needed. Wet is no good, moist almost dry is ok.

Temps; this is simple, when nesting time is near I suspend a 25w bulb 10in above ground, this creates heat gradient in the substrata, my lizards will choose a temperature gradient that allows good incubation. Under tank heat is no good for nesting, eggs are designed to be heated from above as the embryo sinks to the bottom of the egg.

Seems to me your female is looking for the right temps?

Thank you. I have them in a bed a beast/dirt combo. I thought it wasn't deep enough and was going to put more in. She laid them yesterday evening. Waiting to see if they are fertile. I'm going to have to make some changes to the tanks. I have already added the light bulb. They do like it.
I've already experienced the to wet problem. I'm careful about that now.

Do you know at what stage fertilization takes place. I'm under the impression it takes 4 months (at the temps I was using then) for the eggs to develop and be laid. I put Monroe in with her 4 to 6 weeks ago. I'm hopeing they are fertile. They glowed red when I candled them before I put them in the deli cups.

The secret to good eggs is proper husbandry of female and nesting options, strong eggs are very tolerant to temp, humidity variation, I handle my eggs without concern and even spray them if needed.
Don’t worry about your eggs, if they are week better for them not to hatch and become problem feeder and breeders.

Good eggs hatch out to be strong babies that all can enjoy.

My friend hatches 100s of snakes every year, once he was helping me clean my reptile room, he was picking up the eggs I was throwing in the trash, saying Steve this one is fertile, this one too, and all these too!! What are you doing??

I don’t bother with week eggs, if to many turn bad in one clutch I discard all the rest, this may seem cruel, but I rather offer fewer strong genitors then runts, it makes all the difference in the world when a new hobbyist starts working with strong babies, the experience is more rewarding, and he goes on and produces strong babies too.

I wish all keepers would do this, unfortunately even the world top herper’s, some with international reputation DON’T.

Few years ago I imported a $7000 varanus varius bred by a well known specialist, only to find out my new monitor was a runt, the result of improper incubation, some neurological damage and possibly reproductive deficient, in any case a useless animal for my personal standards, I would never ever offer such animals from my collection.
I gave this animal away.

I guess what I am saying, maybe your female held on just a little to much? Of curse this is only an impression, but my message is we can always do better next time.

Simply put a minimag-light on the egg once in a while and you will see how its doing.

Bonnie, you posted about putting Monroe in with Junior and Red on 8/5. I looked it up!
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Marcia - FroggieB Dragons
www.froggieb.com/MHDHome.html

Thanks. I'm sooo bad with time. I'll say something happened 2 months ago and Leah laughs and says more like 8. Can go either way.

not lepidogaster

I was to exited when I posted, sorry

Ok, I'm confused! Is the one that's gravid coronata and the one that's tame lepidogaster? I missed so many posted here it got confusing! ; )

Marcia
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Marcia - FroggieB Dragons
www.froggieb.com/MHDHome.html

both lizards on this thread are acanthosaura coronata, they where ID by Manthey.
rgds