Problems laying(Eggs)

[chewy22]

Hi guys/girls ive had consistent problems with my small dragons ability to lay their eggs. Ive let it go a while hopin might change itself but they develop eggs carry them the usual time then just cant get the eggs out and the eggs seem to either die inside the mother or come out weeks after they should mouldy looki nor at least not with any chance of survival.Today was the worst with the mama being found dead with what looked like 4-5 eggs inside so thoight its bout time i search for some answers. Anything in particular can cause delay egg laying or death in this case? If anyone has any ideas id like to hear maybe its temp,humidity,diet?

 

[Simon_Archibald]

Sounds like it could be that the females don't feel comfortable with a nesting site. Obviously they sound quite healthy if they are mating and producing the eggs, but are probably searching for a suitable site they're happy with.

They are likely to hold on to them for this reason.

Simon Archibald

 

[indicus]

"Fully agree, try putting a large pile of moist substraight (laying medium) on the heat side of the enclosure, and one on the cooler side to offer a varient in laying areas, the female should choose what she thinks best........if still no luck try a larger enclosure with heaps of different substraights, to offer her a larger choise of laying areas.....as Simon said if and when shes 'comfortable' she should lay."

 

[Magpie]

Can I ask what sort of dragons?

 

[tia]

This maybe a silly question, but can calcium deficiancy cause problems with laying in reptiles as it does in birds?

 

[chewy22]

Thanks for the info. Tawny Dragons guys. The tanks about 4 foot long and holds 1 male with 4 females plus a painted dragon pair. I did try spraying the sand in a patch down the cool end daily but no good. I have had eggs layed before but this year, each female in the tank which is 4 Tawnys and 1 Painted(2 clutches) had eggs but i got 0 out of all 15-20 eggs which sux.

 

[hugsta]

How deep is your substrate? Did you have a lay box? If your substrate isn't deep enough they will not be able to find a suitable lay area, you need to supply a deep tub of moist substrait for them to lay in, as said before, one at each end.

 

[insectovor]

I'd have about 200 mm of sand on one end of the tank not the cool end probably in between the hot and cool end. Keep this sand moist by spraying it daily. Overcrowding can be a problem as well as the mixed species. The dragon might be looking for more hidden egg sites, ensure to provide the suitable habitat that the dragons would feel comfortable in. Also keep up the Calcium as this is often a problem associated with being egg bound.

 

[chewy22]

Thanks guys.Now that i think of it theres also 4 stone geckos in the tank. Ive had eggs laid in the enclosure before once inside one of those magnetic dens that sit in and out the tank and other times ive found eggs just on top of the sand. Theres no more than id say 8 cm of sand anywhere in the enclosure,its as bit up and down, so that coulda bn a prob. So an idea would be to stick some sort of removable tub of moist sand 10-20cm deep round the middle of the tank as a potential laying area? There is another gravid Tawny which failed to lay successfully only weeks ago but survived(obviously) so thatll be my next chance to turn the table hopefully.

 

[Already_Gone]

yeah, if there is no where for the eggs to be laid, they wont lay them. But they cant keep their legs crossed forever!! If they lay them out in the open/exposed to heat/air, they may be there too long and dry out. A kitty litter tray costs about $4-5 from woolies. I used a mix of soil/washed sand and peat. It just has to be warm and moist.

 

[Magpie]

While we are on the topic... has anyone ever had angle heads retain eggs?
One of mine has had eggs in her abdomen for over 3 months now, is still eating, poing and healthy.
The other is 3 weeks over due and is also eating, pooing and seems healthy (although very very fat).
One of the girls went 7.5 weeks on one clutch (should be 4 weeks) and they all hatched on a previous clutch.
Ideas anyone??????

 

[indicus]

"Magpie, i have'nt kept 'Angle heads', but had alot to do with boyds in the past, and they were always odd in the duration that they carried their eggs, different per female.... however living in their habbitat, outside seemed the best for them, they regularly produced without hassels.....Angle heads i believe, would do well outside up here...... are they inside or out?"

 

[Magpie]

These are inside, but the egg holding has happened whilst being kept at Tamworth as well as up here.
They have layed 2 clutches and 5 clutches repectively and have been kept in the same cage the whole time.

 

[indicus]

"I guess, so long as their health is fine and they are still producing good offspring, it's probabily not worth worrying to much about......as i'm sure your aware keep the moisture up to them, by misting regularly "

 

[Barney]

This season I also thoght I had a gravid female provided a nest site choice two once she chose one took the other out

No suck luck but during one of my checks on I felt obstructions that seemed that she was havbing diffoculty passing .

In this case I massaged her and warm water soaks she passed some it but not all . Wat can be given to help pass . All she is fed is rats . So its a rat that hasnt fully been processed ?