Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Does anyone out there know the exact dosages of calcium, Vitamin B, etc. during pregnancy of the Blue Spiny Lizard? She's also got 10.0 Reptisun lights, basking lights, warmth, etc. Recently I've also given her two homeopathic remedies to help her uptake of calcium. She has been going off-feed; shows interest her food, but doesn't eat well. She weighs approximately 1.0 to 1.05 oz at this time. Male and she first seen breeding on October the 31st of this year. Gestation period? Also a guess. If anyone has experience with breeding these lizards please let me know the dosages. Had a few years ago, but they were fully mature wild-caught females when I got them. This one is still young, as is the male. Age estimate about 2 1/2 to 3 years.

And what exactly are her temps? How are you measuring them?

Yes, she is with the male. I can't separate the two. She has spurned his advances lately so they just lay together. And he hasn't been "bothering" her lately. She has started to eat well again. Gave her extra calcium, Minerall-I, a dose of Vitamin D3, and two homeopathic remedies, Calcarea Phosphorica and Calcarea Carbonicum both in a 30C potency. As far as temperatures go, my lizards are not caged. They live on tables adjacent to casement windows. Suspended from the ceiling on chains are Reptisun's 10.0, with adjacent basking lights. The regular cage furniture includes houseplants, sticks at the windows, rocks, heat rocks, a water dish, etc. Since they are free to roam, they pick their places to sit. If they want more heat, they lay on the rock under the basking light, (which has now been dropped down from the summertime suspension from the ceiling). Temps range from 74 degrees at night to 95 degrees during the day. The lizards pick their areas. Too cold, to the sunny windows or the basking lights...too warm, to another area. For the last two days, the female has gone off feed again in spite of the ongoing treatment mentioned above. She also hangs upright on the window screens or curtains. She is FAT! But is still healthy at this time. Having raised these guys in the past, and seeing x-rays of pregnant/gravid females, I suspect that she needs the "lung space" and gets it by sitting upright. The first mating was observed on October the 31st. This sitting and the new disinterest in food has me thinking that she's about ready to give birth.

About separating. When I kept these, they thrived with a basking temp that ranged from 90-110.

I would also try to separate. I think the male will eat the babies, and she could stress if she is worried about that.

I hope she delivers them without problems. I had a female deliver, but she was a rescue, and I didn't have a chance to get her as healthy as possible before she delivered. All but one baby were dead.

OK, I will lower the basking lights. Actually she is separating herself from the male pretty much on her own. She climbs the sticks and goes inside the curtain folds near the ceiling. It is quite warm in that area, and she seems to feel hidden and secluded. May have to cage her anyway. Still getting FATTER at this time. Those babies have got to drop soon!

I would try to separate her until after she gives birth. The presence of any other lizards can stress gravid females, especially males. Then they do cannibalize. Insectivores and carnivores will eat their one kind if they have the opportunity.

OK, will try this. The basking temperatures are up; she's leaving the areas when she gets too warm. She probably won't care to be caged for a short time, but she'll have to get over it. Years ago, I had a female who "popped" before I thought she was going to. She went to the other side of the room, hung on the screen, and let them fly. I had started to clean the Lizard Room after she started. Imagine my surprise when I picked up what I thought was one of her feces with a Kleenex and it moved and ran!

Please keep me posted! :-D

Will certainly keep you posted. Hopefully this will be a civilized birth. Yeah, right...that'll never happen with lizards!

Hi Rosebuds,

Babies, babies, BABIES! Never did get a chance to cage Abby. Days just kept flying by and before I knew it, we had BABIES! on Monday, March the 16th. I was at work, my husband went to the dentist at 10:45. No babies. By the time he got home at around 11:45, there were seven. SEVEN! All from a Mama with a SVL of about 4 inches. Holy Cow! Her weight the day before was at 1.25 oz., and I remember saying that I'd have to cage her soon. Male, Fin, is not in any shape to eat them. He has an eye infection that we're treating at this time, (Abby likes to crawl up onto his head and put her fingers in his eyes; now he has a swollen lower lid). Anyway, it's been an unusually busy week otherwise for me. I can usually sex these guys right after birth. The males have larger, more triangular skulls, and the females are diminutive. First glance, it looks like I have two males and five females, but I want to check again this weekend. One female is a runt, I'll keep her along one male. The rest, I will try to find good, knowledgeable homes for. Already went through a box of 500 pinhead crickets, bought 500 more 1/4 inch and 500 more 1/2 inch. Also feeding them small mealies and waxies. I breed them and usually always have a supply of "small" baby-sized food. Guess my husband and I are grandparents now!