Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have a group of very young blue spinys that were 08 hatchlings. I have on really small one that seems like a female. She has never been quite as colorful as the bigger ones that seem like males. They are still so small that I didn't think I could sex them at this point.

Today I noticed that she has bubble belly! At what age are spinys mature enough to be sexually active? At what age can a female become gravid? She can't even be 4 months old!

Do spiny lizards mature enough to breed? Anybody know?

I am soaking her and will set her up in a separate viv tomorrow. She still has lumpy sides and is generally thin. She is also still so small. These are 08 babies and I got them as hatchlings in April. Is it even possible that she is gravid or should I be thinking along different lines?????

I cant say off hand when they become sexually mature but at that young she is for sure not gravid, get her to the vet to be checked on. On a side note all reptiles should be kept separate. If she contracted something from one of the other individuals in the enclosure it can wipe out your entire collection before you even know it.
Foot Hill Reptiles

Well, she is only in with other hatchmates or other same aged blue spinys. I am going to pull her out and set her up separately today. She has always been a runt, and the others are super healthy. I am soaking her, and trying to get a bit of reptiaid down her.

There isn't much that a vet can do that I can't. I have been a rehabber for years. This is my first experience with these specific lizards, but certainly not lizards in general. She is only about 2-3 inches long total, so I can't or a vet can't really do too many proceedures on a lizard this small. I am working on the idea that she is impacted, and I have dealt with that many times.

I will keep you posted. Thanks so much for answering.

You would be amazed at the resources a vet may have, I once had a RES that had a problem noone could figure out, it finally took shell sample and a phone conversation to UCD Veterinary hospital to figure it out. I was in rehab as well but this was a couple of weeks work on the vets part of speaking with associates to solve the problem. Maybe a vet can or can not help but I personally would rather know I gave it a go than think maybe a vet visit could have saved the life of an animal I no longer have. Good luck and please keep us posted.
Foot Hill Reptiles

Unfortunately he died that day, and another one started to develop similar bumps, so I removed him/her immediately and started a particular kind of antibiotic that treats intestinal infections. Well, it did the trick. The bumps are gone and he looks great. I also ordered a new batch of crix. None of the others are developing any sign of it, so I am hopeful that it was just an intestinal bacterial issue. If it comes back, I will get them to the vet.

The problem with these guys is that they are so small! They are really only three months old at the most. They are growing like crazy and look really good, but they were less than two inches total when they got here, well, when the live ones arrived. I really don't think the vet could even draw blood. Well, lets hope we've seen the end of it.

Thanks so much for caring! I will keep you posted and will post pics of them all soon.

I am very sorry to hear about it, unfortunately this is all part of the game we play. Hopefully as you stated the problem will not resurface.
Foot Hill Reptiles

Thanks, Jason. I have had such a hard time with these poor babies anyway. The first two groups that I bought were sold just too young and they weren't being fed enough where they came from, and only one out of 7 made it through the shipping and the first few hours. Then I bought another group from a different person, and all but one survived. They have been doing well for two months, but I suspect that I had some bad crix. We'll see. I guess this is why babies are cheap and adults aren't?

Is there a specific reason you are buying groups of babys? I observe them in the wild every year and if I want one I collect it so I don't have to buy them, not legal to buy or sell them in California anyway. If you are from an area where they are abundant maybe its best to collect one from the wild?
Foot Hill Reptiles

No, they aren't here in my area. I'm in Houston. We have anoles, geckos, salamanders, and snakes, but not any type of fence lizard or spiny that I know of, and I am kinda stuck at the moment as far as taking a trip to catch wild lizards!

I thought that I might want to breed them with the idea of conservation in mind. I see so many wc reptiles for sale, and thought that breeding some might lessen the need for collecting from the wild. I am building an education program and have friends who are in education, and planned on holding back either two females or a nice male and buying a non related mate or two, and passing the rest on to education programs. I belive in captive breeding programs if we are going to keep animlas as pets. I think they just do better in captive settings if they are born into them, and I would hate to see animals become threatened or endangered in the wild because of the pet trade.

I am now rethinking this idea, at least as far as the spinys go. I will breed desert iguanas and try my hand at chuckwallas, but I don't think that these little guys make good pets. They are so stressed with handling. They are beautiful, and their behavior is interesting. I just think that they probably do better and have better little lizard lives in the wild, especially if keepers don't give them plenty of space. That can be debatable for potentially interactive lizards that can be taken out of their vivs for visits and a change of scene on a regular basis. Does that make sense? The desert iggies and chucks, and even the collareds adjust well to captive settings and being handled.

I could be totally off base here. Let me know if I am, please!