Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Does any one know what the gestation period is for the oreganus? Additionally, are there any physical indicators to confirm with certainty whether or not one is even gravid?

Well, it's kind of a trick answer. I am assuming your oreganus just bred as mid July is the breeding season in the wild. Gestation is about 4 months. Thing is, your female won't ovulate till she comes out of hibernation in April(provided she has ample food, water and a basking light), the young would be born next June or July.

I firmly believe the females can control whether or not they ovulate. If their needs are not properly met, they may very well choose not to do so. I would follow the natural pattern of things, give her a four month hibernation at least (Dec till April), make sure there is a basking light with a hot spot of at least 90F. as soon as she comes out of hibernation, and give her plenty of meals.Small more frequent meals are better than huge meals.

Good luck!

Rich

Thanks for the response.

She was locked up with a male for at least, the better part of a whole day. That was Mar 29, after a approx 3 month brumation at 50-55 degrees. Since then, she ate regularly for a couple of months, and then stopped, til a couple weelks ago when she decided to eat 1 mouse. Not again since, though.
She seems very very agressive now- more than ever before, and is very swollen in her mid-lower section. Her scales seem pretty "stretched". The only thing that makes me doubt her being gravid is it's been over 120 days, so I really just don't know at this point. She's been maintained at 85-90 degrees for the whole spring and summer so far.

In spring breedings they usually give birth in Aug or even Sept in my experience. My mitchellii breed in late March, early April and give birth in Sept. But from what you describe, It sounds like she will drop soon. Does she have a bsasking spot or do you just keep her whole enclosure that warm? A cool enclosure (70F with a 90-100 basking spot is best. I usually try to provide a ledge type cover so that the female can hide most of her body out of the heat and hang the rear out under the light.

Hey thanks for the response first of all.

When I suspected she was possibly gravid, I moved her from an 8 sq ft show case with a UV and incandescent basking light, to a lab style molded plastic/plexi glass enclosure with a hot rock and a hide-rock. Not sure but the ambient temp has got to be at least 85, and a hot rock surface temp of 90-100. She also spends a lot of time (almost all of the time) inside the hide-rock. I moved her in the lab unit because it was smaller and I thought would be better suited for her and her babies when she eventually gave birth. Think I should move her back?

Also, much of what I've read online says their gestation is 110 days, which has come and gone, and so is largely why I now have doubts about whether she actually is gravid.

UPDATE!!!!!

Birth date - 08/27/2010

Gestation - 151 DAYS!!!! WOWZA!!!!

13 (6.7) babies born alive and well!!! Best part about it, is I came home from work just in time to see about 11 of them being born!

I'll post some pics soon.