Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I read you have successfully bred Plated Lizards, Seen as it is "season" I was wondering if you could give me some pointers as to what to do.

I understand they are normally violent towards each other, but how violent?

I also understand there must also be a drop in temp's for around 6 weeks, what temps are these?
What about humidity, I currently have it at between 50% and 60%, is that ok for breeding?

What is the ideal substrate for laying eggs, assuming I get some. Would bed a beast be ok?

As for incubation, is 80 a good temp or is that too warm?

I have also read mixed things about humity of the incubator, what should this be?

Greetings RONST3R,

The “Season/Breeding Season” is what I refer to as North America (USA) late Fall & Winter which is opposite to African and Madagascan Spring & Early Summer in those continents. The barometric pressure changes and humidity levels which naturally occur here in the United States (Midwest & 4 Corner Southwest States) directly effect natural brumation and Breeding without any “Cooling Period Induced).

Photogenic periods are altered according to our natural Sunlight phases, UVB fluorescent lights are turned on/off when the Sunrises/sunsets occur naturally. Out of preference use “Red Infrared Spot bulbs” 50 watt for Vision cages (Models: #332, 400, 422, and 432) & Melamine cages (sizes: 48”L x 24” D x 24” H, 48”L x 36”D x 24”H, 60”L x 24”D x 24”H, 60”L x 36”D x 24”H). The room of your home these cages are placed in directly effects Ambient Temperatures and Basking areas of the type wattage Spot Light used. Also fluorescent lights used in melamine cages are a single 24” or 36” tube (mounted inside top of cage) and for Vision cages a dual tube 48” shop light with starter on models: 432 and 433, a single 36” or 24” tube using hood with starter on smaller cages placed outside along back vents. Cages are always setup before housing animals, using a digital Temperature gauge with probe to check basking area and ambient temperature ranges 24/7 for days.

Basking area is setup using 16” x16” ceramic or flagstone tiles with terra cotta saucers or hide boxes and a Humidity box close to tile. Air temperature will range 90f –95f while the surface temp range of tiles & hide boxes range 98f to110f at different locations of surface area. The coolest ambient air temperature of cages is 76f -78f with middle range air temps are @ 82f -86f. Note water dish large enough for animal to soak in is placed near proximity of basking area thus ambient humidity of cage is @ 50%. The important humidity/egg laying site is the Humidity box, which is a Rubbermaid type container with a circular hole cut made @ 1”-1 1/2” up from bottom (large enough for animals to comfortably enter) along with 1/8” holes made along sides of top & in top of container for ventilation/moister control. Place 1’ at entrance ramping up to 3’ near back of box of coconut husk (Bed-A-Beast) with Long New Zealand Sphagnum Moss layer on top. The Humidity box should be moist not wet and large enough for female to comfortably lay length wise also is able to turn around in. Large chip Aspen bedding is used as substrate medium to allow tunneling. Species larger than Sudan Plated lizards need for specialized setup.

The cage set up is never changed except for cleaning, only daylight periods are changed seasonally. Bed-A-Beast must be checked weekly to keep it moist while Moss is misted lightly once daily. Use latex gloves or similar when checking for eggs, this is time consuming and carefully done removing small amounts of material at a time. Eggs are normally close to bottom of container so using a clean/used set of paint brushes to uncover eggs is recommended. Preference is a “Hovabator Incubator” set at 86f with 1degree variance/humidity @60%-70%, using 2” deep of “Hatch rite” or “Vermiculite”. My experience has shown that incubating eggs with my Leopard and Fat Tail Geckos eggs at 86f for equal sexes works the best, only never along the temperature to reach 90f or eggs will die; 85f to 86f is perfect. Glass thermometer inside incubator with digital probe embedded in egg medium reading 85f – 86f is perfect allowing eggs to hatch 60 to 90 days depending on species. Humidity control of incubator is done by adding h2o to water trough in the plastic insert in bottom of Hovabator only, using small humidity gauge inside Hovabator works best. Open egg containers once a week for fresh air exchange and to check medium for dryness-if so add small amount of water is corners without touching eggs.

Once hatched you can either place babies in their own cage as a group or return to parents’ cage. You will see mixed opinions on this as everyone has different experiences. My experiences have shown that Sudan & Zonosaurus quadrilineatus, Z. ornatus hatchlings do best when introduced back to parents’ cages. Feeding then must be done daily (dish feeding/you will have to pinch legs off crickets of different sizes and places several dishes for adults with a dish of 1/8” to 1/4” size crickets for babies in a different location than adult feeding area. Feeding will be posted with breeding next posting.

I hope this answers some of your questions, but not it is best to get as much information from many sources. Then see what your animals respond to for you and your regiem.

Greetings RONST3R,

The “Season” is for pre-breeding condition is late summer/early fall. Feed your breeding group of 1.1 or 1.2 heavily with Crickets as main diet with 2 pinkie mice per animal once weekly, waxworms bi-weekly, small superworms once a month, superworms beetles 1 or 2 once a month males may want more, and a variety of berries offered every week. Berries favored are blueberry, strawberry, and raspberries. Kale, collared greens, and dandelion greens will be taken in small amounts at this time depending on each plated lizards preference. The animals will go off feeding on their own with no temperature changes; this is when they do their biological Brumation. Do not changes anything except fluorescent light time to our daylight savings (when the sunrises turn on/when sunset turn off); Red Infrared Spot Light stays on always. During Brumation offer crickets twice a week unless they want more in which case you feed them what they want.

Around September/October you will start to notice the Femoral pore secretions. Males will have what I call long spiral tubes and Females will have smaller secretions, bulb like secretion. The male will also have more pronounce Hemipenes bulges at base of tail under spurs (which both sexes have spurs). If you have a high range UV black light you can check for smearing, this is areas of cage where males rub against cages furnishings leaving smears of femoral pore secretions, territory markings/scenting for females to be attracted to his range for future breeding. Terra cotta saucers, cork bark tubes, and 16” x 16” ceramic or flagstone tiles under or around basking site and cool side are usually marked.

Late November/December is Breeding Season where breeding is done in humidity box, cork bark tubes, and in tunnels in Aspen bedding. Copulation takes 20 minutes to several hours during which the male may change hemipenes during the copulation. From December start feeding normally as the lizards will become more active (usually hiding under aspen or in hide areas) the more crickets gone the more you offer. Keep records to help you determine increased feeding. When this occurs start offering 2 – 3 pinkies each and once weekly offer a dish of mixed fresh vegetables and fruit (banana, strawberries, blueberries, kiwi, cooked/diced squash or sweet potato, leaves only of: red leaf, romaine, butter, kale, collared greens, diced: cucumber, green beans, carrots, snow peas, and moist packaged cat food or dog food. Calcium preference used is “T-Rex Bone Aid Microstick Calcium Powder” which in my experiences has proven females to produce stronger calcium efficient eggs without calcium depletion of females skeletal bones.

January the females will start preparing a nest in the humidity box for egg laying which will be guarded by the group. Females will be digging in the “Bed-A-Beast” to prepare for egg deposit so be sure medium is moist/not wet while keeping moss lightly misted daily. If your group is 1.2 or 1.3 then a second nest box may be considered, if there is no room near basking area the place on cool side using heat tape underneath cage set at 80f-84f due to tunneling and heat exchange area from bottom of cage through bottom of humidity box. Depending on group interaction and cage size a second humidity/nest box is considered unless all females share the nest/humidity box without aggression. Egg laying last form January through March with females double clutching as they are mature and up to health or you normally receive one clutch of two eggs.

As long as all animals are well feed and have been in the group for at least one year egg laying and guard should go well. Pay close attention to group interactions as to anticipate future behaviors, aggressive animals should be removed for future placement in another group. Wild caught groups take from 1 to 3 years to acclimate while CCB CH animals should be raised together.

As for violence towards each other that is usually when introductions are done or group behaviors are unchecked. It is best to introduce females to males cage (cage size plays a role/3X length of adult by 2 ½ X width) 1.2 Sudan Plated lizards do well in 60” x 24”/36” W x 24”tall. Home made cages (made out of Melamine or Plywood painted with non-toxic paint work the best) glass tanks lose too much heat & moisture also they do not allow for free uninhibited body movement. While naturalistic setups look nice they have a tendency to allow bacteria and insect reproduction which is detrimental to health of animal.

Before introducing animals it is best to place temporary cages across from one another so they can see each other, helps them get used to one another. I have found that introductions are best done in fall when it is best time to determine sexing. Sexing is more accurate with lizards’ length @ 10” to 16” depending on species; and fall is when femoral pore secretions are more pronounced along with male hemipenes being more detectable.

This information should get you started. Gather as much information as you can while observing your lizards to see what they are telling you. Always treat for parasites, get their body mass up, ensure calcium levels are proper, and breeding group is thriving without a lot of aggression. Any more questions just ask and I will do my best to help.