Hey all! New to the forums, but been a long-time lurker. I'm more of a gecko guy, and although I've been keeping beardies for about 10 years now, this is my first time breeding them.
I've paired my dragons twice now, and they expeditiously did the deed both times. That being said, both times they mated, the male produced/dropped a plug during copulation. My assumption is he switched sides and has now dropped one plug per hemipenal "branch." Is it normal for males to produce plugs DURING copulation? I read a veterinary paper suggesting plugs can interfere with proper insemination, and was curious if viable sperm would have passed after the plug was dropped or not. I'll pair them again in a couple days for the last time, but was curious if this is commonly observed, as I can't seem to find a concrete answer or reference to it's occurrence. Thanks for any help in advance!
I can only surmise that this happened because he's just out of brumation, and despite being an older dragon (about 4 now), this is his first time breeding. I'll observe what happens the next time they're paired and report back for reference. Thanks again!
Just for future reference, I paired them one last time and no plug was produced during copulation. Perhaps this is something to note for first time breeders, or males just out of brumation, or perhaps my male is just a bit odd, haha.