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View Full Version : Experienced breeders, help?



Fruitbatjellybean
03-16-2006, 04:38 PM
Ok, heres the deal, I've had my male blue for a few years, last year I paired him up with an albino female, She was a big 2 year old. I knew she was probably a bit young to breed, and she hadn't been cooled or anything, but I figured, what the heck, I'll give it a shot anyway.
To make a long story short, my male was VERY frisky, he bred her over and over, probably every day for about a month and a half. Unfortunately, she developed some sort of infection as a result and died. I certainly learned the HARD way!!

Well, this year I have the same male blue, and I recently got a female blue. This female is bigger and older,and pretty fat. I DO NOT want to make the same mistake again, I've been cooling my male, well, his heat lamp has been off, although I still leave on the UVB light on for a short time during the day and a small heat pad, cooling just scares the crap out of me for some reason. He's being kept around upper 60's to low 70's with the option of laying on the heat pad if he wants to-sometimes he does, sometimes he doesn't. (He has definitely slowed down allot, he started slowing down on his own before I was even cooling him actually) I offer him food here and there, but he obviously isn't eating much.
I just got this female about a week ago, and I know it's kind of late to start cooling, but Im doing it anyway. I have her set up just like the male. I got her from someone who supposedly got a big group of possible het albino female extras from Ron. I have no idea if she has ever been bred before or her actual age, or if thats even true, but whatever.
She's kind of beat up, but that may be because she was being kept in a big cage with probably 15 other tegus and some dwarf caiman. :?
Now my question (s) are:
Do you think I still have a chance at breeding them this year?
Should I cool them down cooler?
Should I start bringing them out in April, or wait a bit longer?
~At what point does the female develop follicles? Is it possible to palpate tegus? I do have access to an ultrasound machine, so I can check to see if she has them, but should I expect them while she is being cooled or after she warms up? Do they swell up? Do they have a post ovulation shed or anything like that? Im pretty good at knowing whats going on with snakes, but lizards are alien to me. :oops:
Do you leave your males and females together throughout breeding season, or do you take the female out every so often for a break if you have a very "studly" male?
and anything else you can possibly think of to help me along :)

I appreciate you taking the time to read my long post and any input/advice you may have!!

tupinambis
03-17-2006, 05:15 AM
Oooh boy, Tammy, you do ask some doozies :D

First, it will depend on a few things. IF blues are a subspecies of T.teguixin or are from Colombia as some people say, then they shouldn't need to be hibernated at all and you shouldn't cool them down at all. Colombia doesn't have winter/summer seasons like the polar hemispheres. It would be more dependent on wet vs. dry season.

Do you still have a chance at breeding them this year? Good question, won't know if you don't try.

As for the temperatures, T.merianae and T.rufescens usually hibernate at cooler temperatures, roughly around 13-17 degrees C in their natural habitats. However, temperature appears to be only one of the criteria. If you're hibernating your tegu, I recommend not providing any food whatsoever, fasting them for 2 months before they get too cold, reduce the temperatures gradually (1 degree every 2 days or so), and once they are supposedly hibernating, turning off all sources of heat and light. They go into a deeper hibernation in the dark, and if your goal is to reset their physiological cycles to induce them to breed, best to "shut them down" as completely as possible.
I'd say bring them out in April, if it works it works, if not c'est la vie.
The females produce their eggs after the hibernation period in these two species. You can palpitate the females, but it has been my experience that the more you handle them, the more likely you are to induce their "re-acquire resources" response - after laying eggs, if the female is disturbed in the wild, they tend to turn around and devour their own eggs. You likely would not pick up anything at all on the ultrasound until after they have bred and the calcareous shell has been put around the eggs. They do swell up quite noticeably while gravid.

We leave our tegus paired up all year long, but then again our pens are rather large. If a male is overly aggressive, however, we usually do separate them and only put in a female when breeding season is upon them. If you leave your tegus together, make sure they are both well fed (usually the females won't eat before laying eggs) otherwise when they lay the eggs, the male can be prone to eating the eggs as well.

Fruitbatjellybean
03-17-2006, 05:43 AM
Thanks for all of your input! You have been really helpful! I do really hope to produce cute little baby tegus this year, I guess I'll learn through trial and error, I've got to get it eventually!
I'll keep you posted!