Gippsland water dragon breading

[Zanejb]

Hi all
Ive kept a few reptiles for a couple of years now but this will be a first for breeding gippies. I just wanted to know a few things:

firstly, They are in a tank atm but they will be going out into an avery this weekend, should i supply a heat lamp? im in victoria and they are gippsland water dragons so i presumed they would be fine.

secondly, i wanted to know what i should use for the nesting/laying box and when should i put it in with them?

Sorry i dont have any picks but its a fairly big avery (7'W x 6'L x 7'H) and if you can give me any other advice that would be good. Thanks

PS i realised i spelled breeding wrong, im a bad speller

 

[richardsc]

hi zanejb,i keep both easterns and gippies out doors year round and im on the mornington peninsula,tad cooler than melb but much of a muchness,u wont need any heating in the way of bulbs ect,just give them somewhere to hide thats dry,mine have a ply hide box buried in there cage ,they dont all use it though,but its there if they want it,my easterns have been outside for 5 years now and breed naturally ,there cage is fully open to the elements and they r thriving,ill post some pics tommorrow ok
hope that helps

 

[Zanejb]

thanks for that, have you been breeding them also outside? and what do you supply as the medium in there nesting box?

 

[richardsc]

hi again,yeah the easterns breed out there naturally,each female lays 2 clutches per season,i incubate the eggs but sometimes cant find them,but they can hatch naturally out there,they just dig holes in the ground,i have a natural ground in there,ill show u some pics,the easterns have been out there for over 5 years now and breed every spring,also it may be getting a tad late to put yours outside for the winter now,they maybe ok but could b risky,just a thought,but maybe cool them inside and put em out in spring so they have time to adjust,my gippy trio hasnt bred yet but females havnt spent the winter out yet so next season should be fine,heres the pics,cage is 6 metres by 4 metres,2 ish high and fully inclosed

 

[Zanejb]

thanks for that, i have started cooling my gippies inside but theres just not enough room for them in there enclosure and also a box so thats i why i planned to move them outside where they have more space.

 

[richardsc]

then they will love it out side come spring ,what size r they if u dont mind me asking?

 

[nvenm8]

Thanks for the photos. Very nice

 

[richardsc]

heres my male gippy,was under his hide area,think hes gone down for the winter already,may come out occaisionally though and my little female,who is still out most days,there a bit dirty from the outside cage substrate but they r blue phase gippies,the bigger girl was out today so still active as well

 

[richardsc]

oops,heres the pics,last pic is of eastern male waiting to be fed with a couple of blueys and a cunningham in the back ground from today

 

[Sammccarthy]

in that second pic up the top there is wormwood in there that is the plant to make that really green drink called absinth, ever seen your lizards stumbling around, lol

sam.
also what part of the mornington penninsula are you in.

 

[Chris1]

wormwoods great against parasites and worms too,...do they eat it?

 

[Sammccarthy]

hi richard do they eat that plant and also what part of morington penninsula are you.

sam.

 

[richardsc]

nup they dont eat it,from rosebud,its died back a bit this year,i didnt water it at all,last year it grew huge ,but i trimmed it back,never had a prob with anything eating it,used it to help with mites ect,the wild blue tongues down here can be riddled with them

 

[Chris1]

great idea, i love a natural cure,...