Is this Lizard pregnant ?

[GeckPhotographer]

It is an Eulamprus quoyii, which do not become gravid but pregnant. Like many cooler climate skinks they give live birth. They give birth in summer near christmas, I do not know much else about their breeding cycle.

 

[ianinoz]

Have you heard much on the ages of these? I have one in my house that has been here as long as the house has, 10+ years.

Wow! Would love to have Lizzy with us that long.

Hi Ianinoz,

That is an awesome situation you are in, having a wild skink live with you in your house.

What climate are you in?

If you are in a southern climate, I would think it is too early for it to be gravid, and it would be very strange if it went into brumation already gravid.

Most skinks mate a month or two after coming out of brumation, and would be gravid for 3 to 5 months.
so I would think they would mate in September through to November perhaps, but I am no expert.

Does anyone know the exact species?

I can look up breeding details for you if it is identified.

Mike

No idea on Lizzy's species.

Newcastle NSW = subtropical coastal and there is a creek about 400m away and some remnant bush only 300m away (the Newcastle - Charlestown BPass goes through it).
Stacks of Lizzy's mates under the house, in my garden and in my shed and yard. Got a big one who has lived in my shed (detached dble garage) for at least a few years, he's not very scared of me, more curious than scared, and is always inquisitive and watches me very intently when every I in the man cave doing my thing.
Couple of bluetongues live in my yard too as well as a load of those little brown skinks. The Bluetongues sometimes accept food offerings from me if I leave them near where I think they hangout and sit quietly a little way away.
No redbacks or funnelwebs or trapdoors in my yard or under my house or in my shed, the lizards ate them all years ago.

Update , Lizzy spent most of the day hanging out with me, mostly warming up and studying me between sleeps.

Lizzy was up waiting to greet me this morning, found her on her hot spot when I got up waiting for show up and turn it on. She stayed there all morning and only went looking for food when it was lunchtime.

Watched Lizzy eat two dead roaches that have been waiting on the carpet near her water hole, and she really loves the water too, watched her go straight to it, stopped to examine the roaches, have a drink, go back and eat a roach, went for a wonder, back to the water for another sip, then she had a paddle in the water, seemed to enjoy it, had another sip, went back and ate the other roach, then another drink, went a bit hypo then (dashing about like a crazy lizard , is that playing ?? or just a happy lizard , and then doing the head noddy thing while looking straight at me LOL) , and then back onto her warm spot for while. Lizzy is so full of character.

Took heaps of photos.


I'm pleased that she is eating, obviously eating when it suits her. Also pleased she likes the water, and now I know she likes it so much I'll put water in bigger dish for her in the same spot.

Gonna buy some mealworms for her ASAP, these will be nice treats for her.

Hehe! She's got you right where she wants you hasn't she?
When our wild skinks are pregnant they keep eating heaps anyway

not wrong there. She knows I'm a soft touch.

Animals always come to me, birds (the local magpies like hanging out with me, the rosellas who visit every day follow me around), cats love me, dogs love me, cows and horses like me, and lizards seem to like me too.

 

[splat868]

It is an Eulamprus quoyii, which do not become gravid but pregnant. Like many cooler climate skinks they give live birth. They give birth in summer near christmas, I do not know much else about their breeding cycle.

cool,

keeping and breeding Australian lizards states that

They would have a fairly short Brumation of 4 to 6 weeks.

Mating occurs in spring, and gestation is almost 3 months; they give birth to 1-8 young around January/ Feb; could be earlier in a warm area such as yours. eg Christmas as Geckphotographer said.

With it being so early, it would be unlikely to be pregnant yet unfortunately, and would normally only show any obvious signs mid to late in its pregnancy which should be late November to December.

Love to hear if you do have any bubs sometime this year though.

 

[ianinoz]

cool,

keeping and breeding Australian lizards states that

They would have a fairly short Brumation of 4 to 6 weeks.

Mating occurs in spring, and gestation is almost 3 months; they give birth to 1-8 young around January/ Feb; could be earlier in a warm area such as yours. eg Christmas as Geckphotographer said.

With it being so early, it would be unlikely to be pregnant yet unfortunately, and would normally only show any obvious signs mid to late in its pregnancy which should be late November to December.

Love to hear if you do have any bubs sometime this year though.

Thanks for the info.

Got no idea where she'lll be nesting, under or inside the lounge or the corner unit I guess. That's where she disappears to and I do occasionally hear her moving about somewhere behind/under the corner unit sometimes at night when it's quiet.

Suppose I'll know for sure if she's pregnant if she gets very fat then one day she's really big and skinny the next day.

Do these lizards do the mother bird thing for their young in the wild - collect food for them and take it to them or do the babies follow mum about and catch their own food under mum's (and dad's) guard ?
Will she present them to me or show them to me ?

lots I don't know..

I REALLY HOPE Lizzy's pregnant. But will be happy if she's just thriving and getting fat.

Gonna change my idea on the Lizzy box/cave and place the little postal box I've stet aside for that in the 3- 4" gap between the back of the chairs and the wall , will put a soft foam sheet in it so it's soft and cozy and make a Lizzy sized hole in one end for her to crawl in, hoping she'll discover it and use it if she's nesting or just as her little private safe cave to sleep in and hide in.
I'll know she's using it if I stop hearing the Lizzy wriggles in the corner and I'll be able check on her from time to time by having a peak in the hole. Good idea ?


Mealworms as treats - one or two big or medium sized worms a couple times a week in winter and maybe every few days in summer about right ?

I want her to keep on finding her own food, and not get totally dependent on me, I only gave food treats to here a few times a week in summer and she loved them when she got them and got very accustomed to going to same place to see if there was anything special there.
I'm hoping she'll accept a mealworm from between my fingers eventually, but I'll start just offering them to her, then progressing to impaling a worm on tooth pick or stiff bit of fine wire and offering that way so I stay outside her personal space (about 2 or 3 " for me, a bit more for my wife), and eventually use shorter and shorter "picks". Good approach ?

 

[GeckPhotographer]

Hey creating a hide for her sounds like an interesting idea. I cannot say whether she will use it or not, but would advise she is more likely to do so if it has a heat source, although not one that gets too hot.

On the issue of maternal care I can be more helpful. The lizard gives birth eats any afterbirth it decides is nutritionally decent, and walks off leaving its babies to grow in the real world. Most lizards worldwide do this in one way or another (There are exceptions like Egernia cunninghami and some of its relatives that stay in family groups). Whether those babies stay inside or move outside and whether you get to see them or not is up to them but the survival rate of those babies is probably not usually that high so it would probably be a smart move on their part to stay inside. The mother by the way will probably not eat her children or any other babies of the same species she comes in contact with unless very hungry, E.quoyii, are not noted as particularly cannibalistic.

Has anyone given you any information on how many offspring these have? I have seen 2 wild individuals give birth to 2 offspring each but suspect more should be possible.

Hope this helps.

 

[ianinoz]

Hey creating a hide for her sounds like an interesting idea. I cannot say whether she will use it or not, but would advise she is more likely to do so if it has a heat source, although not one that gets too hot.

On the issue of maternal care I can be more helpful. The lizard gives birth eats any afterbirth it decides is nutritionally decent, and walks off leaving its babies to grow in the real world. Most lizards worldwide do this in one way or another (There are exceptions like Egernia cunninghami and some of its relatives that stay in family groups). Whether those babies stay inside or move outside and whether you get to see them or not is up to them but the survival rate of those babies is probably not usually that high so it would probably be a smart move on their part to stay inside. The mother by the way will probably not eat her children or any other babies of the same species she comes in contact with unless very hungry, E.quoyii, are not noted as particularly cannibalistic.

Has anyone given you any information on how many offspring these have? I have seen 2 wild individuals give birth to 2 offspring each but suspect more should be possible.

Hope this helps.

When I was a kid I use go "flipping" and sometimes found one or two big Lizzy's and a few baby Lizzy's all in the same "nest".
I think they were the same species as Lizzy or maybe stripped skinks.

I was a bit worried about cannibalism but then I'm not breeding the lizards and Lizzy is wild and can't really do anything about that unless I emprison Lizzy and separate her from the babies - not going to do that. So the babies will just have to take their chances.
I hope to see them, maybe following Lizzy about learning from her one day. That will be so cool.

Re the hide.... maybe my original idea is the best option then, at least to put the transformer in it initially to get Lizzy used to using it.
Maybe I might buy some resistors and a 9V battery and make a low wattage heating strip to go inside the hide to warm it up a little so Lizzy has a cozy warmish hide.
If the warming strip works I'll post my design somewhere here. Think I'll be aiming for a strip temperature about 30-36 degrees.

 

[PeppersGirl]

I've noticed the offspring of the Southern form stick around their mother for a few weeks, sharing the same hidey holes and pinching food... and the parent doesn't mind at all. They will tolerate them up to a year old before chasing them off

 

[ianinoz]

I've noticed the offspring of the Southern form stick around their mother for a few weeks, sharing the same hidey holes and pinching food... and the parent doesn't mind at all. They will tolerate them up to a year old before chasing them off

EXCELLENT .... then I might just get to see and meet then and might even make friends with them too.

Do you think since Lizzy isn't afraid of me and trusts me, the babies will be the same ?

 

[splat868]

EXCELLENT .... then I might just get to see and meet then and might even make friends with them too.

Do you think since Lizzy isn't afraid of me and trusts me, the babies will be the same ?

They won't automatically be tame, but will get used to you and build trust as Lizzy has over time.
If they are around Lizzy, and see that she is calm, that would speed up the process a bit.

Despite my shinglebacks and bluies being tame, the babies are always born with attitude, and like to act big and tough at first.
It doesnt take them long to calm down though

 

[PeppersGirl]

Yes the babies will be very timid at first, it takes a while for them to build up trust.
(Also, they get nervous if you are taller than them, usually I will crouch to their level, they seem to like it better )

 

[ianinoz]

Yes the babies will be very timid at first, it takes a while for them to build up trust.
(Also, they get nervous if you are taller than them, usually I will crouch to their level, they seem to like it better )

My wife will love having a gaggle of baby Lizzy's running around the house.
She had enough trouble getting confortable with Lizzy. (I think the feeling was mutual.... Lizzy is not near as happy to be around her as me.) ROFL

 

[PeppersGirl]

:lol: At least you haven't befriended a snake...

 

[GeckPhotographer]

With the hide idea, I would not be aiming for 30-36, just say 25 so that it stays just comfortable in winter and stuff, it is not supposed to be a place for her to be warming up just comfortable. Also when she starts brumating she will want something cooler than that. If you want something nearby for her to warm up perhaps you should divide the hide in two creating one cooler and one warmer area so she can thermoregulate. She is living in your couch right? That isn't warmed and she likes that, the place she goes and sits to warm up is separate. Lizards like to be able to thermoregulate like this.

Don't worry about cannabilism I was trying to alleviate your fears of that and cover my back at the same time in case.

In terms of the babies hanging around mum a while, they may do this but I have never seen them in any way really displaying any care to these, it is certainly just a tolerance at most, and is probably just the babies taking time to get used to their surroundings....

Perhaps your experience will be very interesting as you seem to be watching this lizard very closely, closer even than scientists sometimes do.

 

[ianinoz]

With the hide idea, I would not be aiming for 30-36, just say 25 so that it stays just comfortable in winter and stuff, it is not supposed to be a place for her to be warming up just comfortable. Also when she starts brumating she will want something cooler than that. If you want something nearby for her to warm up perhaps you should divide the hide in two creating one cooler and one warmer area so she can thermoregulate. She is living in your couch right? That isn't warmed and she likes that, the place she goes and sits to warm up is separate. Lizards like to be able to thermoregulate like this.

Don't worry about cannabilism I was trying to alleviate your fears of that and cover my back at the same time in case.

In terms of the babies hanging around mum a while, they may do this but I have never seen them in any way really displaying any care to these, it is certainly just a tolerance at most, and is probably just the babies taking time to get used to their surroundings....

Perhaps your experience will be very interesting as you seem to be watching this lizard very closely, closer even than scientists sometimes do.

Thanks for the guidelines.
That should make it easier to make some kind of low wattage heating strip from resistors .
Found an old 6V transformer in the shed that I'd earmarked for another project that never happened (years ago) - it's very low wattage - I can use that instead of batteries now.
Just need to size the resistors and buy them.
Might even wrap low density foam around the outside of the back half the hide to take advantage of the trapped air in the foam and (a great insulator) to make it really cozy and uniformly warm inside it for Lizzy.
Even considered earmarking an empty margarine or small icecream tub and using that for the hide - at least I can wash it if it needs it and if Lizzy is pregnant it might be an ideal incubator too.

Off to a pet shop tomorrow to buy a small pack of mealworms for Lizzy. I don't think Lizzy found any cockroaches or bugs today, She looked all over the place. Felt sorry for her.
Upgrading Lizzy's water bowl tomorrow too - needs a bigger one than the take away container lid, an old small plastic dinner plate should be adequate and not so deep that I'll be scared Lizzy will drown in it.

Will turn the outside light on tonight and see if I can snag a moth or two for Lizzy. Freezing outside tonight.... brrrr.... Lizzy is so lucky to live inside with us.

Boy oh boy am a soft touch, am I fussing too much over Lizzy ?

Lizzy is great company - being retired I see Lizzy heaps we spend a lot of time keeping each other company - learning lots about Lizzy and we are getting to know each other very well.

 

[PeppersGirl]

Nah, that's what 'pets' are for - whether they live in an enclosure or not!
(Don't worry, I used to breed mealies for my outdoor pets too lol)

 

[GeckPhotographer]

Sounds like you are definitely putting a lot into this. In terms of your fear that the lizard will drown. The common name of this species is the Eastern Water Skink. They naturally frequent areas near large and fast flowing streams. I have seen them jump into rapids that would kill a person swim to the other side and surface perfectly fine. They can hold their breathe for ages, possibly even hours.....

Just as long as they don't get stuck for some peculiar reason, water is fine.

 

[ianinoz]

Sounds like you are definitely putting a lot into this. In terms of your fear that the lizard will drown. The common name of this species is the Eastern Water Skink. They naturally frequent areas near large and fast flowing streams. I have seen them jump into rapids that would kill a person swim to the other side and surface perfectly fine. They can hold their breathe for ages, possibly even hours.....

Just as long as they don't get stuck for some peculiar reason, water is fine.

I was more worried about Lizzy not being able climb out if the water container was too deep and too slick, her claws might not be able to get purchase and she'd be stuck in the dish and need rescuing.
It's going in the corner behind the front door on the carpet so she also needs to be able to get into it.
I can she what she's up to in that spot and she seems to feel secure there since nothing can sneek up on her and she can see everything that's going on in the room and kitchen, she's fascinated by kitchen activities involving the refrigerator and things that happen on the bench. Watches us like a hawk.

I always let Lizzy do her own thing, I'll talk to her to greet her, my wife does that too and I'll talk clamy and quietly to her if I see her and I'm not otherwize occupied , mostly I'll just monitor her in a low key way quietly while I'm doing other things and I get on with doing stuff on the notebook, watching the TV, reading, or tinkering with things on the coffee table, Lizzy is always very interested in anything I'm doing on the coffee table (i regularly find her looking over my shoulder from the chair next to me, or a few inches away on the chair next me and studying me, we often make eye contact when I turn to look at her and she isn't phased by my discovering her so close and interacting in non-touchy-feely way).
I expect really tame shop bought or breed in captivity lizards are like that with their owners as well as being tolerant of being handled, perhaps enjoying a nice tickle occasionally. (WHO DOESN"T ?)
I am sure Lizzy likes to watch the TV, she stares at it for ages. Often she wont show up until the TV is turned on (shows up within a few minutes).

She discovered her reflection in the lcd on the back of my DSLR this afternoon when she was investigating the camera (a new strange thing sitting on the chair that wasn't there before) , was fascinated by that other lizard she could see for over a minute.
No agression - was very funny to watch - too bad I don't have another camera or a video camera. The other lizard we had for short while in the house summer before last got every agro at the lizard it saw in a mirror (must have have been a male I guess, and we never saw it again in the house after it's dispute with the bad mirror lizard. - if Lizzy had looked the least bit upset by seeing her reflection I would have removed the camera immediately, fortunately she wasn't the least bit upset with reflection lizard and lost interest in it.
:lol:

 

[ianinoz]

Still looks pretty fat.

Loves the mealworms offered as treats (only a few at a time).

Tried hand feeding her a mealworm this morning, she was interested but not quite game to take it from between my finger tips.
Soon as I put the mealworms in a clear plastic bottle she wanted them, but backed off when I put fingers on the back of the bottle - she could seem them, maybe I moved my fingers and hand too quickly and spooked her.

Will try offering a food treat by hand again in couple of days.

 

[PeppersGirl]

Sounds like you're making progress!
Skinks can also end up overconfident - I've had some that will dive into my mealworm container without a second thought! Also, there was one time I was trying to get a close-up movie of a metallic skink and he ended up climbing my camera... some video that was.

Keep it up, she'll be eating out of your hand in no time

 

[GeckPhotographer]

You are doing all the right things to get her confident in you. Don't worry if she backs off a bit no reason to believe you have spooked her just her natural caution.

That story about the metallic skink makes me think of this internet picture. http://oddstuffmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/ready-for-close-up.jpg