Gravid Female?

[sassyglizzard]

I have had my female and male together a few times in order to try to mate them. I never personally witnessed them mate, though they courted a whole bunch and head bobbed and all the works. One time I saw him on top of her thrusting, but I don't think they actually mated at that time. I separated them a week and a half ago as I didn't want the female to get too stressed. She has put on about 45g and is looking very round. She has been eating insanely lately, but the last couple days she seems to have stopped altogether. Today her beard is somewhat black. I've heard before that females will often have black beards when they are gravid. Is this true? What are your experiences. I'm very curious if she is gravid but don't know for sure. Trying not to get my hopes up too much. I have been making my incubator just incase. What are your thoughts? Id love to hear about how other people's female beardies acted/looked at just a couple weeks gravid. Thanks.

 

[sassyglizzard]

She didn't actually stop eating, and has continued to eat a bunch. I weighed her just after brumation when they were together and she weighed 480g. Now she is weighing in at 558g and is super round!! Her tummy feels like a balloon. I still do not feel any eggs, though. At what stage should I be able to feel eggs? The day I caught them 'pseudo-mating' was April 5th. I separated them April 10th. Do you think this sounds like she is gravid? Or is it posisble that she has gained all this weight due to anticipating becoming gravid? Thanks. I would really appreciate a response.

 

[GeckoGarden]

She didn't actually stop eating, and has continued to eat a bunch. I weighed her just after brumation when they were together and she weighed 480g. Now she is weighing in at 558g and is super round!! Her tummy feels like a balloon. I still do not feel any eggs, though. At what stage should I be able to feel eggs? The day I caught them 'pseudo-mating' was April 5th. I separated them April 10th. Do you think this sounds like she is gravid? Or is it posisble that she has gained all this weight due to anticipating becoming gravid? Thanks. I would really appreciate a response.

Honestly I can never tell when my female is gravid by feeling, with my last female I could though.

 

[Dementeddogz]

If shes put on a noticeable amount of weight shes most likely gravid. youll notice huge increase in eating habits, and eventualy constant scratching/digging. You cant always see or feel the eggs, sometimes if you hold them right may see slight dimples. I have one I can tell right away, but then I had my sons laid 26 eggs last night completely on surprise. She was acting funny so had lay box but refused to lay. had gotten fat (but shes always been a big girl), eating alot, and was digging like crazy so i was pretty sure she was gravid but she still surprised us when we came to check on her and she had 22 eggs in tank.....she later dropped two more in her lay box, and 2 more in the tank. Doesnt hurt to be prepared either way.

 

[sassyglizzard]

Thanks for the response! I have finished my incubator and it is running so that I can get it running at the perfect temp. I also made her a lay box. I'm mainly just paranoid and obsessed because I've never done this before. I really hope she's gravid because all this waiting kills me! I can't imagine the waiting on the eggs... !!

 

[sassyglizzard]

Nothing has been very straighforward or apparent with my beardie and her pregnancy. As I've continued to weigh her, she's dropped 30g. So I thought maybe she wasn't pregnant. Someone I know who breeds told me to put her with the male again and see how she reacts. She said if my female is interested and participates in the mating dance, then she's not gravid.. and if she ignores him or seems annoyed, she probably is. I tried this and she readilly participated in pushups, head bobbing, and the likes. So I was convinced she wasnt' gravid. Then she stopped eating (for real this time) on the 23rd and hasn't ate a thing since. I have not been able to feel any eggs in her stomach or anything. On the 27th she laid 2 eggs ( I think?) in her enclosure while I was at work. I say I think because they are very weird looking and clearly infertile. Very yellow and tiny and oblong and shriveled. But I found some images on google of infertile eggs looking like this so I assume they are eggs. I put her in a lay box where she has been mainly since, but she shows NO interest in digging or laying. I tried making her a hole a few times but she just wrecks it eventually. She digs at the container to get out, but not at the dirt. So she's been in the lay box for a day and a half. How long should I leave her in there? I would think that since she laid 2 eggs the rest would be coming really quick. Is that incorrect to assume? I just feel worried since nothing has gone even remotely "by the books" as such. Also, I'm wondering why it is that they say a female's first clutch is often infertile. What is the science behind this? And info or stories from when other peoples beardies have laid would be much appreciated. Thank you!