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Once a
female is gravid, she should be separated from
her cage-mates if she is not already alone. This
will prevent unnecessary stress to her and
will prevent cage-mates
from eating her eggs.
 Through
close observation one can observe distinct
changes in the behavior of a female from
copulation to oviposition. The first stage is
marked by behavior that I characterize as "quiet
but alert". She will spend long periods of time
motionless but very alert, frequently basking in
a warm part of the cage. A couple of weeks
before oviposition, she will become very active,
digging about the cage. By this time she should
be provided with a nest box. I use damp sphagnum
moss as an egg-laying medium. A short time
before oviposition, the gravid female will
retire to this nest box and remain relatively
inactive.
Prior to egg
laying the female provides an adequate
environment for the developing eggs assuming she
has an opportunity to thermoregulate. It is
important to provide an environment in the nest
box that will be supportive to the developing
eggs, also. This means appropriate moisture and
temperature. I am careful not to keep the
egg-laying medium too wet, spraying at least
daily to maintain slight uniform moisture. Keep
the temperature in the nest box the same as the
incubation temperature (about 79 degrees F).
A normal,
healthy clutch of fertile eggs is usually laid
over a period of several hours. Eggs that are
laid over longer periods of time (sometimes over
several days) are more likely to be infertile or
non-viable.
 Time from
successful mating to oviposition appears to be
42-55 days. Gilas have been known to lay from
2-13 eggs, the number being somewhat
proportional to the size of the female.
You may see
eggs that were not fertilized. Infertile eggs
may appear smaller and more yellow than fertile
eggs and will not be as turgid (they may appear
"deflated"). Some infertile eggs will look every
bit as good as a fertile egg
from the outside. However, on candling there is
no sign of a blood ring and they look more
opaque on the inside (fertile eggs appear
translucent when candled).
There are
several possible explanations for infertile
eggs. One possibility is the female was not
inseminated at the optimal time. Another
explanation is a problem with the viability of
the male’s sperm. Perhaps he did not have access
to appropriate temperatures earlier in the
season and his sperm was unable to development
properly.
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.
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