Beyond the nutritional requirements for general husbandry, special attention needs to be paid to feeding in preparation for reproduction. Egg production requires a huge energy investment for a female Gila monster. The frequency and quantity of food offered to a female becomes critical to successfully prepare her for reproductive cycling.

If a female does not have adequate fat reserves, she cannot reproduce—it’s that simple. Since reproductive cycling in Gilas begins well before the winter cooling period, the amount of food offered the year before breeding becomes critical also.

After egg laying I feed females twice a week as much as they will eat to regain their pre-egg laying weight. I also feed them heavily once they emerge from winter cooling.

If the nutritional requirements of captive female Gilas are managed appropriately, they are capable of producing eggs on a yearly basis.

For a complete description of the breeding protocol used with great success by Dr. Seward, see the second edition of Dr. Mark Seward's Gila Monster Propagation. Click here for more information.