Gestation period

[Reptile- mad]

Hi all,
This might seem completely clueless but there are lots of pieces of different information flying around the web, does anybody know what the gestation period for an eastern blue tongue skink is?

[Jeff]

It should be right about 100 days from ovulation, which should be about 10 days after copulation. It is not an exact number, but if you use that you will not be far off for a normal pregnancy.

[Richard.C]

Drpends alot on your temps to,if consistant and warm enough faster gestation than inconsistant temps and lots of cold mixed in,my lot seem to have longer gestation periods than the norm,but my temps fluctuate quite alot depending on whats happening outside

Easterns kept outdoors in melb tend to drop betwern jan/feb,sometimes earlier,sometimes later,gestations vary greatly ,according to keeping conditions,between 100 to 150 days is average for me

[dsteamn]

I don't know about easterns, but my northerns always drop between 120 and 130 days.

[Jeff]

I don't know about easterns, but my northerns always drop between 120 and 130 days.

120-130 days from what? Part of the reason answers will vary so much when asked this question is that everyone starts counting from different points. First copulation, last copulation, half-way between first and last copulation, ovulation, first poop after brumation etc...

[dsteamn]

I count from the first copulation to the last. I usually have about a 10 day breeding period, so 130 days from the first time, and 120 from the last.

[Richard.C]

I go from first copulation,which normaly puts me in the 150 odd day zone,mine my northerns mated over a 6 week perion this season just to confuse things,july 18 to september 1st one of them did,the other 2 a week or so less,first one didnt drop though,possably had slugs

[Jeff]

I go from first copulation,which normaly puts me in the 150 odd day zone,mine my northerns mated over a 6 week perion this season just to confuse things,july 18 to september 1st one of them did,the other 2 a week or so less,first one didnt drop though,possably had slugs

I am becoming more and more convinced that the things that happen between the first copulation and ovulation are what vary widely. I think the time from ovulation to birth MAY actually be very consistent. I am determined to document when all of my females ovulate this year if possible so that I can measure the times from first/last copulation to ovulation, and the time from ovulation to birth.

I won't have a large enough sample size to prove anything definitively, but if the results remain constant from year to year, it may be enough to clear up some of the confusion on the topic. I don't think many people have kept track of when their skinks ovulate in the past. That is understandable, because it is not easy to catch it if you don't have the ability to sit and watch your skinks 24/7 for a couple weeks each year.

[dsteamn]

How do you know when they ovulate? I keep records of everything else when I breed, so I'd be in for trying to figure it out if I could.

[Jeff]

You can physically see when they ovulate just like in a snake. Their mmid-section blows up like a balloon. It varies from skink to skiink, but you can always see it if you are looking for it. Sometimes that is what confuses people who think it looks like their skink is going to give birth in about 5 minutes, thn the next day she doesn't even look gravid.

What I don't know is exactly When ovulation occurs in relation to mating, or how long the visible sweelling lasts. I believe it is somewhere around 10-15 days after the last copulation.

[StaceyLeigh]

You can physically see when they ovulate just like in a snake. Their mmid-section blows up like a balloon. It varies from skink to skiink, but you can always see it if you are looking for it. Sometimes that is what confuses people who think it looks like their skink is going to give birth in about 5 minutes, thn the next day she doesn't even look gravid.

What I don't know is exactly When ovulation occurs in relation to mating, or how long the visible sweelling lasts. I believe it is somewhere around 10-15 days after the last copulation.

Great info. Jeff, thank you! I had noticed this with Calypso, that her mid-sectioned looked much larger a couple days after the last copulation (I thought It a little strange) and now her mi-section seems a little smaller again. This gives me hope that the 4 copulations between her and Thor were successful!