New beardie already pregnant...what now?

[parsons]

I just purchased a female beardie in hope to mate with my male. I found out today she may already be pregnant.

Currently they are housed together in a 4ft enclosure. Here are my questions:

Do I have to separate them now or can I keep them together?

I know I have to put in a laying box, but how big roughly and how deep and put what kind of substrate in it (I live rural so not alot of choice)?

Do I need to buy a hovabator for the eggs once she lays?

Once hatched can all the babies be in the one enclosure?

 

[bowdnboy]

Hey mate. first things first. r u sure shes pregy. can u feel eggs in her belly. Can u see bulges along her flanks. Has her appetite increased (however if so preg, will prob not eat much in the last few days - week b4 laying). is she scratching and digging around the enclosure yet?

Cheers

 

[Brettix]

Think u should of had all these things ready and done a little more research.
I take my gravid fem out when their about to lay and put them into a 60 litre tub full of moist sand.
You can stack bricks up in your tank like a dam 2 bricks high and fill up with moist sand.when she drops put them in a air tight container on damp vermiculite,make sure u squeeze out every drop of water.I would sit them under a 40w heat lamp 24/7 make sure they sit between 28-32,good luck

 

[parsons]

Thanks for the replies.

I only just found out she could be pregnant from the shop I bought her from yesterday.

As I only introduced her into the enclosure yesterday, she isnt digging or anything yet, she has just been having a look around and sitting under the log.

 

[JasonL]

buy this
Mike Swan Herp. Books - Bearded Dragons in Captivity AU $ 21.95

 

[bowdnboy]

So she may not be preg then, u dont know. did the shop witness mating? was she in with a male? U should really house seperate (although this is a contentious issue depending on who u ask), but as its a new animal, if nothing else but for quarantine.

Did they brumate, and what is the male doing? is he showing interest. Best when getting a new animal to house seperately to allow it to get used to its new surroundings. I hope she doesnt stress out being in straight away with a male and a new home.

Follow Jasons advise and get the book. Or a similiar one, and have a read if your not experienced with this sort of thing.

However, if she is preg, seperate, and put in a lay box (plastic lided container with an entrance with moist soil/sand/vermicluite/peat mixture - whatever u can round up. put it in about a week b4 laying. She test dig around the encl a week leading up to laying looking for the best area. put her in the box to show her its there if u want.

If u think she is preg, better to be safe than sorry and get organised for it now in my opinion, ie lay box, incuabtor etc. If it turns out shes not. then your ready for next yr. no sweat.

 

[parsons]

Ok, thanks all for the advice..... Ive just purchased an incubator, the Reptapets one..
In regards to the lay box, I plan to get vermiculite, but is it ok to put her in a laybox that hasnt not heat or UV? How will I know when to put her in...from what Ive read its when she starts the digging routine?

 

[bowdnboy]

Put the lay box in her enclosure. She'll go into it when shes ready to lay. try and have something at least 30cm deep so she can dig right down into. they tunnel when they dig. I use peat / vermiculite mix. make sure its moist enough so that when she digs, it doesnt collapse, but not too wet. I usually put mine in the middle of the enclosure b/w the cool and hot ends. Put it in abour a week b/f laying, so that the mix get s time to warm up