How do you tell if a Uro is Gravid?

[gko reptiles]

Hey guys, excuse my ignorance! How do you tell if a Mali. Uromastyx is gravid? I'm not trying to breed her, but we have a Male and a Female Mali that live together in a 200 gal tank. She was sleeping outside her house tonight so I picked her up to move her back into her house. (Maybe she and the male were arguing and he kicked her out, who knows?! lol ) Anyway, her belly is huuuuuuuge! She's eating and pooping so I know that she's not impacted. I haven't tried to breed them, but they do live together. Maybe she's gravid then? Hmm, I don't know much about breeding Uros... Somebody HELP!! Thanks so much

 

[gko reptiles]

oh yeah, I also know that they poof up when they're angry, but her belly was huge when she was asleep...

 

[brandy101010]

I used to have two malis but they were both male.
If they are being housed together there is a pretty good chance she is gravid. and if she is not she probably will be eventually lol.
I have heard that uros are not easy to breed. I know they can become gravid with infertile eggs even if not bred. I'm pretty sure that when she is far enough along you should be able to feel the eggs in her tummy. I remember reading that somewhere. It's been along time since I have read anything on uros so I could be wrong. But feel around and see if you can feel anything.

 

[ByRandom]

The only information I could find in my relatively short-lived search is to make sure you have a standing source of water and supplement with extra calcium if indeed she really is gravid... Hopefully someone with more Uro-knowledge will stop on by..

 

[geckocraze]

Breeding

The breeding of Uromastyx maliensis in captivity has proven to be problematic at best. Most breeders and herpetoculturists agree that for the highest chance of success you must provide some sort of bromating6 period for your animal. To bromate Uromastyx maliensis, reducing lighting and heating gradually is recommended to simulate cyclical changes in its natural environment. It's also suggested that food should be reduced during this time as this will simulate naturally-reduced food sources in the wild and will effectively reduce the amount of food particles in the hind gut. There have been occurrences of death in subject animals that may in fact be due to the presence of food in the hind gut during bromation. This food has been allowed to effectively rot in the hind gut providing a rich source of nutrition for bacterial infestations which can cause the demise of affected animals. This has been most noted in animals that have been allowed to enter a deep bromation period.

By mid-December, keepers try to reduce the time of lighting to around eight hours per day with mid-day basking spot temperatures in the 110-115°F range. Some herpetoculturists do not do a deep bromation method with their animals but prefer what has been termed as a 'passive' bromation. By this it is meant that time, temperature and food is reduced to a level that is lower than normal but is by no means as low as is reported by Randall Gray to be necessary for successful breeding. It has been proven (by Audrey Vanderlinden and others) that deep bromation is not entirely necessary to facilitate mating behaviour. It is preferred by some to lower these factors to an extent that the animal is able to slow down the intake of food and behaviour and to choose to bask on occasion and even eat lightly if needed. It is believed (according to recent reports on wild populations of U ornata by Troy Jones) that not only Ornates exhibit this behaviour but most likely Maliensis also do this. This assumption is based on the fact that the temps in the region of Mali sometimes are high enough to promote basking behaviour.

Some limited breeding behaviour has been noted with certain specimens after allowing a brief 'passive' bromation period. Most experts agree that some form of bromation is necessary for Uromastyx maliensis. Bromation typically lasts between six and eight weeks under normal conditions. Care should be taken during bromation and the animal should be checked periodically but not unduly disturbed. Upon removal from bromation it is recommended that you bring up the animal's temperature to normal levels in a quick fashion. During this period the animal should progressively be brought up to a natural regimen of diet and basking temperatures. If there is any abnormal behaviour during this re-habitation period seek medical attention immediately.

Breeding should take place around March through April and possibly even into May. Males should exhibit familiar mating rituals such as head bobbing, side nipping of females and aggression towards other males. Supplemental calcium can be given at this time to help with egg formation in females. Use of Neo Calglucon with female specimens is recommended. Males should be mounting females around this time. If a female is non-receptive she will display this by rolling onto her back thereby preventing insemination by the male. If the male is able to inseminate her, she may then become aggressive towards the male. If this happens, you should separate the animals until long after egg deposition. Some breeders recommend separation of the two genders and only introducing them to each other during breeding season/attempts.

Egg deposition should occur around one month after insemination of the female. Incubation of the eggs should be in a medium of sand, vermiculite, or other such substrate with a 7:3 ratio of substrate to water. The eggs will need to be incubated in a small container with a few pinholes in the lid (to retain humidity levels) at 90 to 92 degrees F for 85 to 95 days. After deposition of the eggs the female is extremely dehydrated and week. She needs to be hydrated with pedialyte and neo calglucon. Offer as much of these as she will take and continue this treatment for a few days. Also be sure to offer a regular diet of greens, seeds, and beans. It is not uncommon, however, if the females do not eat right away. The eggs must be removed as soon as possible and placed into the nesting material (if the female has not laid them in it already). There are differing thoughts on whether the eggs need to be buried, partially buried or just placed on top of the substrate. There have been both successes and failures using both methods. As stated above, hatching should occur somewhere after 85 days and before 95 days (there have been reports of hatchings after 110 days though). Hatchlings should be around 2" STL and weigh in at 6 to 8 grams. The diet for hatchlings is the same as the adults being careful to finely shred all greens and finely grind beans. Given the proper diet hatchlings should grow fairly quickly for the first couple of years before a general slow down of growth is noticed.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A947162

Hopefully this helps you out.