Babies on the way ! Gutzy is going to be a mommy

Been over about couple of weeks since were had a visit from Gutzy, she's been either keeping a low profile , or been hanging out outside (likely under the back patio and around the sump , been getting visits from her boyfriend Cheakie (the boy with a cropped trail) while she's been "away".

Wife tells me she's been seeing a very fat looking skink visiting Peppa every morning at breakfast , and Peppa arm waves and does slow slow head nods at the skink, while the skink does quick head nods at her. It's (she's) been a bit wary of my wife and tends to back off when my wife approaches. Unlike Cheakie who sits there and watches her.

Background : [ Invalid URL Removed / p=1820358 t=236988 f=33 ]

She returned on Monday and has been showing up at the same time and places in the mornings and the later afternoons. Got a really good look at her , she's really starting "to show" now , and is probably too "fat" to squeeze through the wee hole in the floor where the phone cables come and go, or where the TV coax cable comes in from outside because she's "in the family way".

She came over and tapped me on the foot while I was internetting , and as soon as I acknowledged her she dashed off and a minute later was on top the lounge and eagerly watching getting her ratio of bugs ready , she knew exactly what was going in and then watched me deposit them in a 600ml tub where she had no problem seeing them and getting to them.
My oh my ! is she hungry !! she earnt her name and easily polished off 8 mealworms, 2 medium (1.5 -2 in long) silkworms and two dead silkworm moths at lunchtime , and I heard her killing some rogue crickets behind the corner module later this afternoon.

I think she'll give birth in about 4 weeks judging from the size of her tummy. So I'll be giving her extra bugs when she's inside.

Is going to be to resist the temptation to stresslessly capture her while she's pregnant , and keep her safe in a spare viv or old 100L rearing tub til she's given birth and to keep the babies and raise them as pets ( other than that we risk having baby skinks all over the house and there's a risk one of the beardies might eat some of them if they encounter them on the floor).

That's exciting ! I read that they can have up to 9 babies. Does she spend enough time indoors that she might give birth inside ? [ I didn't read the whole story , lol ] You'd have to keep an eye out lest they'd become a snack for the other resident lizards. :shock:

AHBD":2j69f9se said:

That's exciting ! I read that they can have up to 9 babies. Does she spend enough time indoors that she might give birth inside ? [ I didn't read the whole story , lol ] You'd have to keep an eye out lest they'd become a snack for the other resident lizards. :shock:

Click to expand...

The prior girl who was visiting regularly and frequently for several years gave birth some years inside , other years she gave birth in the front flower bed (next to the front steps) and other years she gave berth under the back of the house or in our shed.
I think there's a very good chance shed will stay inside where the best food source is and she feels safe and secure . I hope so.

Most of my wild water skinks pop out between 4 and 6 babies, sometimes twice per summer, and the stay close to their babies and also look after and guard the babies of their sisters , daughters and cousins and nieces - very social skinks). Younger girls (in their first breeding system produce smaller litters (2-3 babies) , the mature girls ( from 3 yr old ) if they haven't had cause to drop their tail, will drop up to 6 , or maybe two lots of 4 over spring-summer.

Toothless is very interested in the two resident water skinks , and Peppa gets a visit most mornings. The BTs are taking a "I don't care" attitude about the water skinks (they'll used to them, unlike the beardies Peppa and Toothless for whom they are intriguing , wrt the smaller lizards.