Why won't my female mate?

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My three year old female bearded dragon, Anberlin, won't mate. I've tried putting her with my five year old male, Michelangelo, but she just doesn't seem interested. I keep them both in 40 gal tanks. She has play sand and he has reptile carpet. I feed them both about 6 large crickets that I breed and mixed greens with sliced carrots and occasional fruit. Their cool side usually stays around 85 and the basking site is around 100.
I put Michelangelo in her cage and he starts head bobbing, but Anberlin won't arm wave. She actually starts doing a slow head bob and if he tries to mate her she starts kicking and he gets off. When this happens I take Michelangelo out and try again in a couple days. Still no luck.
My friend has a male bear die named Garbonzo. He is a very impressive male with good colors. I've tried putting them together, but still nothing. He puffs his beard out and head bobs but she pretty much ignores him.
What's wrong and what can I do to get them to mate?

Oh yah, I know what I'm getting into with baby beardies. I already have an incubator, a lay box, plant of crickets, and a LOT of friends who want a bearded dragon.

If you can help me I'b be really grateful.
Thanks.
 

RioReptiles

Sub-Adult Member
This is the hard part when it comes to breeding. I learned early on that everything I planned would almost undoubtedly not go the way I wanted it to go. Now I raise 3 females for any single project I want to breed in hopes that one of them will follow through. I have some amazing dragons that I spent big money on years ago that have never once bred. I still have hopes but they are pretty small right now.

You can put some females with some males and the female will dominate, yet you put her with another male and she will breed instantly. In any case, there are still females that will not breed to any male period or others that would breed to multiple males if you let them.

Then you still have to factor in a dragons physical ability to breed and develop eggs, what if she is past her follicle development and has already absorbed them? What if she, for some reason, has an internal disability and cannot develop eggs properly inside her? Dragons seem to have an awesome instinct of knowing what is going on inside their bodies and their brains tend to dictate their actions as a survival tool. For example, when a dehydrated or sick dragon will not eat, their bodies know it isn't physically possible.

As breeders, we learn to tell when a female is "receptive" and will accept a male. This timing is crucial in any successful breeding project. If you try too early or too late, she will reject the male and won't let him breed her. You can wait a week or two before trying them again, but even sometimes dragons will breed and not produce. You just can't expect a particular pair to always breed successfully.

Good luck! Cheryl
 

ThisIsAUsedName65714

Member
Original Poster
Thank you so much! That helps. Also, Anberlin layer infertile eggs less than a month ago, so i'm guessing that's a big reason why she won't mate. But one thing is bothering me. She looks really fat.
I can't figure out how to upload pics, I'll keep on trying to get one of her.
Thanks again!
 

ThisIsAUsedName65714

Member
Original Poster
ausedname65714

This is her before I got her.
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This is her usually.
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A top view.
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And this is her after she eats.
 
I had this exact same problem myself. My female would actually fight my male to keep him away. I just left them together for about a week or two and well lets just say I have eggs haha. Just give it time it's possible one of your dragons may come out with a scar or two but nothing serious should happen but anything is possible just keep a close eye out.
 
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