Aggressive or Mating Blueys

[Reptiles101]

So I have 2 Eastern Blue Tongue Lizards, in a 3 foot tank. Each has their own hides and they share them...strange I know...

Both of them having been acting strange in the last couple of weeks, Jarrah (supposed male) keeps biting Jinxy (supposed female) on the back of her neck and side region, they seem like their trying to kill each other, but I'm really starting to think their trying to mate...

Anyway here are my questions...

Is it breeding time for Blue Tongues?
How do I know if their breeding or fighting?
How long is the gestation period for females?
What are the main things to look for in a gravid female? (mood, hunger)

 

[lizardwhisperer]

A 3 ft long tank is WAY TOO small for 2 adult BTS or any bigger than baby or very young juveniles from the same litter (even then I'd be very wary of housing 2 in such a small enclosure as BTS are very territorial and prefer solitary lives - only coming together to mate).


Not strange at all , sounds territorial to me and will have a bad ending unless you separate them IMMEDIATELY and provide them each with their own personal enclosure of appropriate size. 2 BTS housed together , even juveniles are fully capable of killing each other and breaking legs even ripping legs and feet off each other.


I learnt this lesson the hard when 1 housed 2 juvenile BTS together and wound up with one with a broken front leg and a nasty head laceration from a vicious head bite by it's smaller but more agressive enclosure-pal. I immediately separated these 2 and prevented further agression by doing so.
If you value your pet BTSs do them a favour and provide them each with their own 4' x 2' x 1.5-2' tall enclosure until you are sure if you have a male and a female and then only put them together when you are ready to let them mate.

I would have thought that any reputable BTS breeder would have already given you this advice and provided you with a BTS Caresheet.

 

[Reptiles101]

Okay thanks for that, so it's aggression?,
I bought my other bluey from a pet shop and they didn't mention anything about how aggressive they are towards another of their own kind...so my best bets separating them?

 

[solar 17]

a 3 ft long tank is way too small for 2 adult bts or any bigger than baby or very young juveniles from the same litter (even then i'd be very wary of housing 2 in such a small enclosure as bts are very territorial and prefer solitary lives - only coming together to mate).


Not strange at all , sounds territorial to me and will have a bad ending unless you separate them immediately and provide them each with their own personal enclosure of appropriate size. 2 bts housed together , even juveniles are fully capable of killing each other and breaking legs even ripping legs and feet off each other.


I learnt this lesson the hard when 1 housed 2 juvenile bts together and wound up with one with a broken front leg and a nasty head laceration from a vicious head bite by it's smaller but more agressive enclosure-pal. I immediately separated these 2 and prevented further agression by doing so.
If you value your pet btss do them a favour and provide them each with their own 4' x 2' x 1.5-2' tall enclosure until you are sure if you have a male and a female and then only put them together when you are ready to let them mate.

I would have thought that any reputable bts breeder would have already given you this advice and provided you with a bts caresheet.

+1 asap

 

[Reptiles101]

Okay!

But why is it only one that has the bite marks Jinxy and Jarrah doesn't have any bite marks on him at all?

 

[MesseNoire]

Okay!

But why is it only one that has the bite marks Jinxy and Jarrah doesn't have any bite marks on him at all?

Dominance. One is most likely more dominant than the other.
You don't know for sure that they're male and female so it's best to separate them permanently and introduce them in neutral territory for short periods of time.

 

[Reptiles101]

Yeah that's what I've been thinking for a while, thanks for the tip Fractal_man

 

[Helikaon]

It probably will be mating behaviour its the right time of the year and the right behaviour. i would seperate them anyway due to the males getting quite relentless at this time and he will continue to try to mate her even if she is already gravid and in a small enclosure there is no place for her to get away from him. If i am mating specific pairs they need to be supervised introductions not left alone as male can kill females or aggressive females can seriously damage your male. Gestation is 3-5 months, she will start eating alot, i find they lose a little bit of weight and then they will start increasing in weight at about 30-40g a week until they start breathing heavily and will have a pre birth shed and then bubs will be born you shouldnt have any other blueys in the enclosure at this time due to the females getting very aggressive over basking sites and food and then very defensive of her babies once born.

saying this you may still have 2 males if they havnt been proven and the submissive male will usually be grabbed either way.

 

[Reptiles101]

Thanks so much Helikaon! So if one starts getting bigger and breathing heavier I will know I've got a gavid female?

 

[Helikaon]

[video]http://s216.photobucket.com/user/Helikoans_snakephotos/media/07122011.mp4.html[/video]

 

[Helikaon]

thats a quick video of the laboured breathing of a very gravid female

 

[Reptiles101]

The link didn't work :-(

 

[lizardwhisperer]

They can get very fat looking when pregnant (live young are born , they don't lay eggs). The newborns are very cute and it's an amazing experience to watch them being born.

I don't breed my BTSs, my first litter was accidential. If you plan on breeding them I can't recommend too highly silkworms as a great staple food ,especially for young BTSs.

Plenty of calcium rich foods and calcium suppliments are essential if the BTS becomes pregnant. I NEVER give my lizards cat or dog food. (Even though they would love the stuff).

 

[KWood]

Hello, just jumping in on the thread. We got our BT's at Christmas and they are meant to around 18months old, one is significantly larger than the other, and the breeder said that it was possible one was pregnant.

It does have the laboured breathing like the link you put up, but not all the time. It ( I say it as sex is still unknown), is also very fat to the point if we let Snake (it's name) out of the tank and onto the floor boards, he/she can't walk as the feet barely touch the ground.

Since we have a substrate of sugar cane mulch, my fear is.....what is she is pregnant and lays? How would I even know if there was little ones hiding under there? Will they be born strong enough to come to the surface by themselves?