Gravid Storr's wont eat

[lauraschram]

Hi All,

I have a pair of storrs monitors that are about 20cm long and they were mating like crazy a couple of weeks ago. Now they have stopped but the female is getting fatter - this makes me think she is gravid as she is not eating. Her belly is getting bigger but she seems to be loosing condition elsewhere.
Is is normal for a gravid female not to eat and if not (which i expect it isn't) does anyone have any suggestions for getting her to eat. I am offering small chicken pieces, pink mice both live and dead, cat food and meal worms. The male doesn't have a huge appetite either although he is taking some.

I will try and post some photos of the enclosure in the next few minutes... they have uv and two basking spots (with a fair range of temps from quite hot room temo) and i am using wood chip/mulch as a substrate as thats what they were used to at their last home (Ive only had them for a month or two)

Cheers
Laura

 

[Clairebear]

Out of curiosity, how old are they? I don't know too much about the mating stuff as mine are only hatchies, but I'll give it a bump so hopefully someone sees this and can help you!

 

[jordo]

I have no experience with breeding monitors, but it is quite normal for many species to refuse food in the later stages of being gravid. You should provide her with a laying container in a warm area of the enclosure where she'll deposit her eggs.

 

[Tristis]

some female monitors will go off there food but ive had them eat up to a day before laying.
if your temps are wrong they wont eat.
if you dont have good nest sites she will hold her eggs and she will stress looking for some where to lay.
pics of you set up would help.

 

[Tristis]

get rid of the cat food its made for cats not monitors feed them pinkies and crickets

 

[lauraschram]

thanks - i figured cat food is better than nothing an kitten food is close to nutritionally complete. thanks for your help guys. im not sure how old - i think he said two when i got them but they seem small to be that age. is there any shure fire way to tell if they are gravid? i want to post a photo but it wont let me! you should be able to access the links below i hope... one of them mating and one of them now - sorry its not great but theyre not being very photogenic! The female is the one at the front in the second photo - do you think shes gravid (from what can be seen?) ill try and take some more photos later if they come out again...
http://i201.photobucket.com/albums/aa78/lschram/100_0133.jpg
http://i201.photobucket.com/albums/aa78/lschram/100_0139.jpg