2016 Heloderma Clutch

Nightflight99 · 02-19-16, 04:12 AM

This year's Heloderma horridum clutch is beginning to hatch. After an incubation period of "only" 179 days (the shortest incubation period that I have seen in this species), the first Mexican beaded lizard hatched at a weight of 41 g. He/she had just hatched when I took that pic. I'll update with more this weekend.

Herpo · 02-19-16, 04:36 AM

You have amazing animals Nightflight! Beautiful creatures!

AlexCrazy · 02-19-16, 10:09 AM

WOW! he is so beautiful! cute and mean looking at the same time! love it..
Nice job Nightflight!

Albert Clark · 02-19-16, 12:29 PM

Are these guys related to Gila monsters? They have similar scientific names.

inv3ctiv3 · 02-19-16, 02:08 PM

Love it! I would love to someday breed mine just gotta find a big female!

macandchz · 02-19-16, 10:48 PM

will you cut the top of the eggs like i have seen snake breeders do? would you please explain why they cut the eggs? thanks!

Nightflight99 · 02-20-16, 04:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Albert Clark

Are these guys related to Gila monsters? They have similar scientific names.

Yes, they are both helodermatid lizards that are classified in the genus Heloderma.

Quote:

Originally Posted by macandchz

will you cut the top of the eggs like i have seen snake breeders do? would you please explain why they cut the eggs? thanks!

No, I generally do not like cutting eggs. Some keepers do this in order to prevent a weak hatchling from being unable to free itself from the egg, which could cause them to die in the egg. In my opinion, we're already implementing too many poor practices of artificial selection that produce animals that are physically weak. Being able to free itself from the egg is such a basic form of selection that it deserves to be left in place.

Nightflight99 · 02-20-16, 10:53 AM

Two more eggs pipped yesterday, and are probably going to fully emerge by the end of the day.

jpsteele80 · 02-20-16, 11:19 AM

These are absolutely beautiful, just out of curiosity because i really don't know much about them if you handle them from a baby is it a possibility that they tame down and you can handle them normally without a fear of a bite?

inv3ctiv3 · 02-20-16, 11:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jpsteele80

These are absolutely beautiful, just out of curiosity because i really don't know much about them if you handle them from a baby is it a possibility that they tame down and you can handle them normally without a fear of a bite?

They do tame down (most of the time) but it's still hot and even if it's tame if it gets scared for a second or something it could bite so there is not really ever not a fear of a bite even though you normally can handle it fine 99% of the time.

Nightflight99 · 02-20-16, 11:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jpsteele80

These are absolutely beautiful, just out of curiosity because i really don't know much about them if you handle them from a baby is it a possibility that they tame down and you can handle them normally without a fear of a bite?

Yes and no. They are full of vigor as neonates and juveniles, but usually begin to act less defensive once the reach adulthood. At that point, they will still huff & puff, but most of their strikes are bluff strikes. That said, you should never treat any helodermatid lizard as if it were a tame, harmless pet. You might get away with it a bunch of times, but statistics will eventually catch up to you in an incredibly painful way. These lizards do just about everything slowly, with one exception: striking.

That said, it is easy enough to learn how to properly handle them and minimize the risk of a bite.

inv3ctiv3 · 02-20-16, 12:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nightflight99

Yes and no. They are full of vigor as neonates and juveniles, but usually begin to act less defensive once the reach adulthood. At that point, they will still huff & puff, but most of their strikes are bluff strikes. That said, you should never treat any helodermatid lizard as if it were a tame, harmless pet. You might get away with it a bunch of times, but statistics will eventually catch up to you in an incredibly painful way. These lizards do just about everything slowly, with one exception: striking.

That said, it is easy enough to learn how to properly handle them and minimize the risk of a bite.

Yup - I've noticed a lot of people getting them on monitor groups on FB and the first question everyone asks is how long till they're tame.

jpsteele80 · 02-20-16, 12:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nightflight99

Yes and no. They are full of vigor as neonates and juveniles, but usually begin to act less defensive once the reach adulthood. At that point, they will still huff & puff, but most of their strikes are bluff strikes. That said, you should never treat any helodermatid lizard as if it were a tame, harmless pet. You might get away with it a bunch of times, but statistics will eventually catch up to you in an incredibly painful way. These lizards do just about everything slowly, with one exception: striking.

That said, it is easy enough to learn how to properly handle them and minimize the risk of a bite.

Ok i was just curious. I would never treat a venomous animal as something to free handle anyways i just didn't know if they a little different, i knew they were not like a monitor that was high strung so wasn't sure how they acted.

macandchz · 02-21-16, 06:18 AM

thank you for answering my egg cutting question. i always wondered why that was done.

Nightflight99 · 02-22-16, 11:12 PM

Update: Four have hatched, and a fifth egg pipped today. Two more eggs to go...