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There are institutions and
individuals that have established successful breeding programs, however, others have been
inconsistent in their results. This information is not meant to be a cookbook on Gila
breeding. Instead, it will summarize the techniques common to some of the successful
breeders.
The following issues should be
considered when attempting to breed Gilas: health, sexing, hibernation, behavior,
oviposition, incubation. Each is important to successful breeding. Click on the
sub-menu to the left to view these sections. |
| Goldberg and
Lowe (1997) reporting on the reproductive cycle of the Gila Monster in southern
Arizona demonstrate that males come into breeding condition in May. Breeding appears to
continue into part of June. They also confirm reports that in the wild, eggs laid in the
summer over-winter and hatch the following spring.
There have been several reports
that females may only reproduce every other year in the wild. Goldberg and Lowe found 100%
of mature females reproductively active, suggesting a one year reproductive cycle. |
