Herptraders bluetongue ?

[-Peter]

Still born eastern bluey ??

I don't have all that much experience Blue tongues. We have had a old Blotched blue tongue for a number of years which shares our fernery with some long necked turtles. We sort of guessed (Dora) was a female.

Toward the end of last year we were given an unwanted Eastern blue Tongue which came with the name Dax, so since then Dora has had a friend. We suspected she was female also and as such we expected,and saw, no hanky panky. These two just hung out like mates.

Dax has doubled in size (to be adult size) since we got her about 4 months ago.

Dora is almost in hibernation though she was spotted over the weekend enjoying the last of the Autumn warmth. Dax on the other hand has been out most days. Both skinks are well fed and appear in good condition.

This morning I spotted a little blob which turned out to be a fully developed Eastern Blue Tongue baby, quite dead and I presume still born. It seemed to be about half out of its amniotic sack. So Dax is a definite female.

It did not occur to me that Dax could have been gravid before we got her but I suppose she must have been.

What is the gestation period for eastern bluies?

If there is one dead baby would we expect to see some live ones? (There were none this morning but it was a cool night and the sun has not yet broken through today so they could be huddled up somewhere under cover and there is lots of good hibernation sites.)

Is this a normal time of year for eastern bluies to give birth? It seems odd as the babies would have no time to grow before hibernation.

Any input from the APS vets would be much appreciated.


Bluetongues give birth generally from New year to April. When i was breeding large numbers they would start to appear about february and some wwhere still being born in early may so its not unusual.Ive also noted that enviromental changes can effect the outcome of some newborns. So changes in how the bluey was kept may attribute to still births but the chances are that those that died may not have survived long anyway.

I have posted this in the other thread but as Ive only been a member for 5 years I cant post in the veterans section

 

[Chimera]

I have posted this in the other thread but as Ive only been a member for 5 years I cant post in the veterans section

Unless I am mistaken there was, well lets call it an interruption to your membership

 

[-Peter]

your obviously mistaken or misinformed.

 

[richardsc]

what area are u from,my blotcheds have been having there bubs in april the last couple of seasons,in melb obviously they mate later into spring so have babys later in the season then say nsw types of the same species when kept outdoors,from my experience with easterns though in melb they usuall have bubs in jan feb mostly,but sometimes into march,so april is kinda late,blotcheds in melb are usually march april for me though,u say u keep them in a fernery,does alot of sun get in there,as easterns like more warmth than blotcheds,blotcheds seem to thrive on the coldness where as easterns can succumb if they do as blotchys do,eg my blotcheds usually 50 percent of them anyways,hibernate curled up in the soil half exposed to the elements over winter,yet they never succumb and wake up in spring healthy as,the males shed then its full swing mating time,yet if easterns dont find somewhere more insulated to hibernate,they seem to be very sussceptiple to respitory infections,they are obviously not as cold tolerent

back to the point though,theres a good chance there are more babies hidden in your fernery still,or she may have had slugs,unfertilised ova in which case they normally eat them,and they can quite commonly do that,3 seasons ago my female alpine blotch had 10 babies very late in april which is late for her,she normally has them in march,8 were still born,only 2 alive and they all were premature,they were quite transparent,the 2 live ones didnt survive long,one for 2 weeks,the other 1 month,why this happened im not sure,last season and this season she produced 5 bubs each litter and in march with no problems,i still have the 10 bubs form the last 2 seasons which are going great guns