Gravid Dragons?

[trizzypballr]

How do you tell if a bearded dragon is gravid? This is my first year breeding dragons, and I believe my female may be gravid because she is housed with a male, and filled out real well all of a sudden and her stomache is firm. I also breed leopard geckos and I know that you can actully see the eggs in them, can you in beardies? What type of egg box do you give a beardie to lay eggs in? Will an echo earth container like the gecko chamber but bigger oviosuly work?

 

[Harmurray]

Although you cannot see the eggs through the skin you can see the bumps along the sides of the abdomen if you hold her flat and look underneath. It may look lumpy like she has marbles in her belly.

For a lay box I use a 66 quart rubbermaid. The lay medium I use is a mixture of chemical free potting soil, a little bit of washed childrens playsand and enough water to make it firm but not soggy. I slope the medium to one side of the laybox to about 12 inches. I then add a screen top and place a basking bulb on top.

Harold

 

[trizzypballr]

so otherwards you dont give them an egg chamber per say like a leopard gecko gets? you make up a whole cage to be the egg chamber?

 

[Harmurray]

For me this is the easiest way. I have used this method for several years with great success. I have seen pictures on the Dachiu's website where they have built three sided boxes and placed them into a seperate cage with the medium sloped to the back side of the box. I just really do not have the extra cage space at this time to dedicate to just laying females.
Click Here to View
Harold

 

[LadyGecko]

In the past when I had kept all of my adults on play sand -I would just make a large sloped pile on the hot end of the tank
I would soak it with water and pack it down really tight
My females would dig a cave and lay their eggs
Now that I have most of them all on paper towels( I haven't decided if i want to switch back to sand) I will most likely set up a 30 gal long aquarium for a lay box in the future
Be prepared for the female to dig forever before she is ready to lay or feels that she has the cave "just right"
She will drive you nuts-lol
Marbles in the belly is a very good description of a gravid dragon

:main_yes: