Green Ameiva Breeding

[TeguTime]

Hi there, New to Tegu's and to the forum. Thought This would be a great first post.

I purchased two green Ameiva, I placed them together with the intent to separate them (had a break in my second setup the night before)

Less than 6 hours later they started breeding... Or at least that's what I BELIEVE they are doing. They both look the same, one less colorful but still vibrantly colored so I don't think I have a M/F.

My next thought was that they were fighting; so with that I rushed to fix the second setup, only to come back 1/2 hour later and find them locked. *See pic*

So my question is this:
-DO I HAVE A MALE FEMALE PAIR???
-WHAT DO I DO NEXT?

I'm experienced with snakes and common lizards, These Ameiva are my first step out of the ordinary. So any and ALL information (despite how trivial) would be helpful.

Specs:
I have them in a 3X4X4 Tank (the pic shows them in the naked basking corner!), equiped with a small waterfall, plenty of plants, hiding spaces, substrate is peat moss, bark and a box of soil (clean). Temps are at 100-110 on the hot, 90 on the cool, humidity is 70 throughout. Light cycles are 9/15 day/night. They're eating a daily diet of meal worms, crickets, dubais (home raised) and a pinky mouse every 2 days. (is that to much??)
[attachment=2559]

 

[Riplee]

Nice. They are breeding.. But they are not Tegus....

 

[montana]

Cool do you have an incubator...??

 

[laurarfl]

Well, they are teeids, in the tegu family. I have a male that is really flighty, but he's fun to watch. That diet on yours is good. If the mice are too much, they will look a bit fat and you can back off. Be sure to supplement w calcium and give lots of UVB. I can only speak from my experience, but I keep the basking spot lower...about 95-100, maybe up to 105 in the summer. It sounds like an awesome set-up!

I found this on the net: "Mine had clutches 0f 7-12 eggs 2-3 times during summer. At constantly 81-83F babies hatch after roughly 2 months. In the beginning many died close to hatching. After I lowered the humidity in the vermiculite gradually during incubation, so that it felt quite dry close to hatching date, hatching rate increased dramatically." I wonder if he had a mold issue.

Have you considered a nest box in the enclosure and letting her tend them on her own?

 

[TeguTime]

Thanks for the replies guys, I know they're Teiids (sp?) and that they're native to Mexico / South America. It's difficult to find any real solid information on them without buying it (waiting on a book from Amazon that covers them on a mere TWO pages) :dodgy:

I did place in a nest box, Its a shoebox with Dry moss, clean dirt, and clean coarse gravel. I've unearthed a few lizard nests on a trip to Forida, I'm hoping they bury their eggs in much the same manner. :huh: I have nothing to lose by letting her try it on her own, I honestly expected two males.

I've been replacing the mice with rat pinkies and giving them every 3 days. I've found they're responding better to heavier prey. They do look chubby though.

I'm glad they're mating and no the later, but how is it that they're both equally colorful? Again information is rare but one consistent bit of info was that females are MUCH more drab.

And yes I do have an incubator. (thanks for the incubating info laurarfl) should she decide to abandon them.

On to my next question/concern. HE'S BREEDING HER TO DEATH! it's almost every 15 mins to an HOUR for the last WEEK:blush:. Would it be wise to separate them?

The only reason I'm hesitant is the fact that they show better feeding response when together. Separate they just let the food hop/squirm/crawl away.

Also as a side note, whenever the auto mister starts, they act like they're insanely thirsty. Cant drink fast enough! but they never drink/soak in the water fall or the shallow pan.

---

@ laurarfl: My female is flighty, but the male is nothing like the described "tense, look-don't-touch" lizards. Whenever that lid comes off he's front and center. Jumps out occasionally and in a few instances crawled up my arms. VERY social (or very hungry).

 

[laurarfl]

Mine would eat constantly if he could. He comes up to me, but if I have to touch him, he freaks out. He does like tons of fresh water and really high humidity. You spelled teiid correctly, I messed it up on my first post.

There are a few different species out there. If it is a green ameiva, both may be colorful, but the male will have more color on the inside of the back legs as well. I'm on my laptop out of town, so I can't see an images from this forum.

You may want to separate them to give her a break. That could be stressful to her after a while. Are there a lot of hiding places for her or branches, like a jungle effect to increase surface area. Then maybe she can stay away from him. Having two will increase competition for food, activity, etc, so it makes sensed that they eat better together than when apart.

Sounds exciting! Good luck with any eggs!

 

[TeguTime]

Alright so decided it was about time to post an update.

I went ahead and separated the two, but put them both out in the sunning cage together (they get fed out there to ease cleaning up the little bug/rodent parts) They get time together about 4 hours a day, the male has so far stopped breeding her (cant be sure if he sneaks a breeding when im gone)

No eggs to report yet, He has a box that's checked daily, also giving her a bit more protein with pinky rat instead of mouse. Her weight is increasing rapidly with the switch. She's also became extremely flighty, (as if they're not flighty enough as is). I would assume that can be expected from gravid females.

Thats about it for now, patiently waiting for eggs and will take pix when they show. In the mean time I'd love some imput regarding incubation vs natural. It looks as if she'll care for them, choosing to spend her nights in her next box instead of her usual hiding nook. Who has had better success with either method? [attachment=2616]

 

[TeguTime]

New Updates:

Female has gotten WAY fat, has pretty much stayed in her box 90% of the time when not eating or drinking.

However no eggs yet!:dodgy: From what I've read it takes about 60 days for her to lay so it looks like no eggs. :huh:

In a new twist, regarless of how fat she's gotten they're back to BREEDING again.:blush:

They're on the same diet. only difference is because the air is dry here in the summer, i've been misting the cages double to keep humidity in their cage.

All for now. Still checking boxes and keeping an eye for eggs.

 

[TeguTime]

Yet Another update.

She ended up having her eggs... AND EATING THEM.....:huh:

I ended up separating them two days before she laid them. She had laid 2 when I first checked (she was eating and dint notice me ) and checked again in a day, to find 4 total, The following day I saw her face covered in goop and sure enough the nest was ransacked.

A shame but better off taking them from her the next time.

Thanks to everyone for their replies and input. first time dealing with this type and have to say the experience is worth the loss of eggs.

 

[Rhetoric]

Is it common for them to eat them?

 

[spikeleebd]

once she lays the eggs it is important to take her out. ameivas will eat their eggs if she feels like they are infertile or if left with eggs for too long

 

[laurarfl]

Wow. Didn't know that. Thanks for the info.

 

[spikeleebd]

she also could have laid infertile eggs due to being stressed from him forcing her to breed i would totally separate both of them. don't even feed them together

 

[johin david]

I have perceived the green ameivas mating at my work the final few days too, my tiger ameivas mated in walk and april of last year so cheerfully i can get a few more females b4 that, anyways disconnect the female assuming that she begins adding on weight as different ameivas will strip down the eggs (all the more when the female hasnt left the tunnel she actually laid in), mine have dug thier claim tunnel holes and in addition dug under a log and laid, ......