Brumating T gigas ssp

[amcurls]

What temperature are best for brumating T gigas ssp (Indonesian, Merauke, and Kei Island) ? I noticed that the climate seems constant in their range. Would it be more related to humidity ?

[Richard.C]

i have no experience with those forms but would probably try similar to northerns.well how i cycle northerns,keep days warm year round,but make it cooler over night in winter,and dryer,stimulating a dry season break

theres probably many ways to do it though

[Katrina]

I just noticed this didn't get many replies...

Some breeders have lost gigas species to temperatures being too cool, so I'd be careful not to let them get any colder than 65 F.

You're right that in the wild it is more of a dry / wet season rather than summer / winter. The bluey bible describes them breeding in the dry season in order for babies to be born in the wet season when their is more food available. There is quite a range of months that they have noticed breeding, gravid blueys and babies in the wild according to the book, so it seems like it isn't very consistent or predictable in the wild.

Because very few people have had success producing CBB babies from these guys there really aren't many people who can tell you how to correctly brumate them. I know one breeder brumates them similarly to Northerns with success although lots of others have tried this with poor results. I've gotten breeding from mine at all sorts of random times during the year, I can usually correlate that with a humidity drop but unfortunately it hasn't resulted in babies yet. I haven't been trying for very long so my experience isn't enough to base much on. I also have some that were brumated similar to Northerns but they aren't showing interest in breeding. It could be a timing problem though. I'm sorry, I know this isn't very helpful. Much more info on what doesn't work or isn't known!

[mark_w]

Hi,

I've been thinking/reading about this myself. I'm sure it depends on the ssp of gigas. The following is based on information in the 'Contributions to Tiliqua' book.

Broadly, gigas gigas comes from northern Indonesia, mostly from TMF (tropical moist forest) habitats. These habitats have pretty much uniform 12h days and no pronounced dry season.

Then, gigas evanescens comes from southern Indonesia (actually southern New Guinea) including more transitional and open habitats including woodland, scrub, heathlands and grasslands.

'Irian Jayas' are a 'scincoides-like' form of gigas evanescens from the area around Merauke in south east New Guinea with more open habitats still, including coastal heaths, grasslands and the like.

The 'Contributions' book suggest the English name of 'southern New Guinea bts' for standard gigas evanescens and Merauke bts for the 'Irian Jaya' form of gigas evanescens. This is confusing because in the US, the name 'Merauke' is used for standard gigas evanescens/southern New Guinea bts.

Based on the above, IJs should respond to a more pronounced wet and dry season, gigas gigas not at all, and gigas evanescens intermediate. I do not know what to predict for gigas keyensis or scincoides chimaira.

Hope this makes sense! (The above suggests that gigas gigas should be non seasonal breeders).

Mark.

[Katrina]

Hope this makes sense! (The above suggests that gigas gigas should be non seasonal breeders).

Really good info, I should go and reread all those sections. It would make sense, given that we seem to be able to breed IJs consistently, a handful have bred Meraukes and very few have bred Indos.

[mark_w]

Hi Kat,

I'd not thought of a connection with breeding success but I suppose it does correlate. It would be very nice to understand more about how to trigger breeding in gigas gigas I know that!

Cheers,
Mark.

[Spindown]

lol my male indo wanted to mate, badly! Too bad he wasnt allowed to have a piece of my sexy Northern
I need to get him a lady friend