Need advice quick - Green Iguana laid eggs

DOBERMAN · 01-01-13, 10:59 PM

So my girlfriends green iguana just laid over 20 eggs on top of her hide.
The thing is, this whole time we have had "her" we thought she was a male! It was adopted back in June from a guy who had lots of reptiles so we just assumed the sex he told us was correct. It has not had any contact with any iguana's since we got her and I believe it was the only iguana he had so I'm not sure how she would have got pregnant. This is new to us so I had a few questions and am really wondering what I should do next. Now I've maybe heard somewhere some types of reptiles can carry sperm inside them for a long time to use later on....? Will these eggs even be fertilized? She is laying on them and they are getting compressed. Not to mention some of her claws are pricking them too. She doesn't want us near her and I would really like to know what the next step is. Any and all help is much appreciated.

infernalis · 01-01-13, 11:40 PM

I am not sure of the Parameters, but the first times the lucky one, you need to prepare a nesting area for future ovulation cycles, or she will ultimately egg bind one of these times.

I know iguana hysterectomies are expensive, and only a very few vets are qualified to even try. (Females without nesting sites virtually all pass from egg binding, or have expensive surgical procedures performed)

infernalis · 01-01-13, 11:42 PM

By the way, Reptiles ovulate and pass eggs without males, they are infertile "slugs" you can simply toss them out.

Terranaut · 01-02-13, 11:44 AM

Yup. Google egg candling and see if they are slugs and I bet they are. If so just toss them.

DOBERMAN · 01-02-13, 02:46 PM

Thanks for the info. It really caught me off guard when "she" started passing eggs. I did get a chance to google the candling procedure, and my gf eventually tossed them out. I am worried about future egg binding so I will prepare a nesting site for her and hope for the best. Thanks again guys.

infernalis · 01-02-13, 02:56 PM

What exactly does constitute a suitable nesting spot?

I know they like to dig and bury the eggs, but my kowledge stops there.

Gungirl · 01-02-13, 03:23 PM

When I was younger we had a female iggy. For a nesting box my dad kept it simple. We had a large tote with good dirt in it at the bottom of her cage near a heat source. I think it was maintained about 85f? Not really sure though. We kept it damp but not wet when we noticed her looking gravid. She always used it and never had any problems.

This was about 15 or so years ago and she passed away of old age 18yrs..

DOBERMAN · 01-03-13, 05:47 AM

^^^^^

This is good to know. Thanks

**Pareeeee** · 01-03-13, 05:21 PM

While some lizards, such as Komodo Dragons and certain Whiptail species can reproduce asexually (essentially cloning themselves), I've never heard of it happening with Iguanas.

I'm almost 100% sure that those eggs will be infertile.

What you should do next is make sure you up her calcium intake for a little while (someone else know how much/how long?)

Egg-laying is very taxing on a lizard's body, and uses up a lot of calcium.

Also, like others said, provide a nesting spot.