Mating, Eggs

little_dragon_ · 03-21-04, 01:01 PM

My Cresties first mated about 21 days a go, I saw them going at it about 4 more times after that. I was wondering do they stop mating when the female is carry eggs because I haven't seen them at it since the last time? My female shed last night, I know eggs aren't as obvious as leopard geckos but she has a fat belly. Should I be expecting a clutch soon? I have a 5x5 tupperware container full of 3inch of moist coconut bark with a nice hole in the top of the lid.
When I have eggs I will but them in a clear container what's the best method for incubating them without an incubator?

little_dragon_ · 03-21-04, 01:07 PM

What if I just keep the eggs in moist cocbark in a container with some pin holes in it?

Cedille · 03-21-04, 08:54 PM

You can incubate at room temperature as long as it's a warm room (over 70*).. they'll take about 3 months to hatch that way.

I use Dairy Queen banana split containers with holes sprinkled all over the lid, fish gravel in the bottom, and moss on the top. That way the moss isn't sitting right in the water.

You can stick a thermometer probe in to keep an eye on the temps. I've hatched babies on coconut bark but sometimes, they get a mouthful of the bark and die. Since that happened, i've switched to moss. But honestly, i don't think the material matters too much for the actual hatching.. i've found babies that hatched in the tank in the forest floor bedding.

chronicfatigue · 03-24-04, 11:22 AM

I would not use coco bark, or anything organic for that matter, this will lead to organic growth (ie. molds, bacteria, etc.).
Instead use perlite or vermiculite or both, they are very cheap at the store. Subsititue this for the cocobark in your already set up tub. Once deposited you can leave the eggs in the tupperware and remove the whole container from the cage and place them in a pantry or on the bookshelf, wherever is cool and dark.keep the medium moist, not wet. Best of luck!
OOO ya and they are prolific breeders so chances are eggs are on the way. And dont get discouraged if they arent in the box, check the rest of the cage especially under plants and any other foliage. No matter what i do mine always lay her eggs under one tree, even after i moved it.
-cf

uog11 · 03-24-04, 09:01 PM

you can buy vermiculite at walmart in a large bag for like $2. i have found that they never lay in a chamber but always under the roots of plants. just my experience
aaron

little_dragon_ · 03-25-04, 01:01 PM

How deep can I expect them to dig and how obvious is it?

chronicfatigue · 03-25-04, 02:10 PM

It usually depends on the female, when I very first got them I always watched them , and when i cleaned their substrate the first time i found two eggs that i had no idea were there, and this is when their enclosure was rather bare. Now that I know alot more and have been keeping up on gestation and all the other reproductive cycles I know when to look but never where!
FOr the most part though, the eggs will be right below the surface. However it also depends on the substrate in the tank, I always change substrates in an attempt to find the perfect one, and everytime the eggs are at a different depth. But the top is almost always visible.
Heres the easiest way: watch the female when you are expecting that the eggs are ready. She will start to dig, nesstle, or just act odd around a specific area of the cage, this is more than likely where the egg will be. If you check though and its not there, chances are she will not lay it there after you tampered with it.
This is just my experience, everyone and every lizard is different. The first cluctch is always the hardest.
Hope i helped and didnt confuse.
best of luck.
-cf

little_dragon_ · 03-25-04, 04:30 PM

Thanks for the replies guys...I have been misting my crestie tanks twice a day for a couple of days now...My female ate 10 crickets last night so I'm sure she's getting ready to pop any time now.

Cedille · 03-25-04, 04:49 PM

You'll be able to see the eggs inside of her quite easily once she's close to being ready to lay..they're quite large. Then once she lays them she'll suddenly look skinny again.

If you can't catch her digging, you can keep an eye on her size as an indicator.

little_dragon_ · 03-29-04, 04:20 PM

I'm getting really anxious for some eggs, its been about 30 days since I watched my cresties mate. How long before she lays eggs, I haven't seen her dig but I've noticed a large increase in appetite and a bigger belly.

AnthonyC · 03-29-04, 07:25 PM

You never know. The mating may or may not have been successful. Just keep patient and you'll eventually have eggs.

I'm sure the advice that the others gave was good, but beings that breeding is my top priority, I tend to do things the easiest way possible.

I use (and highly recommend) newspaper for a substrate. I provide a nesting chamber filled with moistened shredded coconut husk. This way, I know where they're going to lay their eggs. Using a soil substrate and letting them lay their eggs wherever they want makes no sense to me at all...at least, for someone who really wants to produce Cresties. If you want a display, that's one thing, but breeding and efficient production is another.

The nest box I give them is approximately 11"x5" and about 3.5" deep. They tend to bury the eggs pretty deep actually. After they lay and bury their eggs, I dig them up and incubate them at room temp or maybe a little warmer on moistened perlite.

Anyway, that's how I do it.

little_dragon_ · 03-29-04, 08:11 PM

thanks for the tips!