Merauke breeding quest

[hurricanejen]

Hey guys, any of you who had pairings in November, what's the appetite like with your girls?

My girl that locked up here is basking pretty much non stop, but hasn't eaten in a few weeks now. She is fat, but again, little/no appetite. Last time she ate was mid January.

Her first lock was 11/15, last lock was 11/21, and there were at least 4 copulations I saw in that time frame. She had great appetite all through December, progressively less until 01/10, when she started to refuse her skinky mix, although she ate a couple pinkies. Since that week, though, no interest in food.

What's the average length of gestation for your skinks, those of you who've had babies from Meraukes, and did you notice a pattern like this with the appetite?

-Jen

[Dakota]

Virginia is also basking non-stop (she continues to bask when her EBT is 100+). But she eats like a PIG. Before she was bred, her eating was off and on. A few weeks ago, she even chugged down two whole adult mice, and was looking for more! Every time I feed her she acts like she hasn't ate in months.

She started significantly swelling around Christmas (from then to beginning of Feb, you could see her belly getting bigger by the day!). Now it seems to be constant, though still big.

And if I remember correctly, Bill Schwinn had a gestation average of around 4.5 months, and that's why I'm hoping for, too.. but I personally will give up hope past 200.

[Scincoides]

I only got one good lock out of my Merauke pair in November, but my female stopped eating two days later and literally did not touch any food at all until yesterday. I offered her a Rat pinkie yesterday and she took it right out of my hand. I offered a bowl of dog food, spring mix, snails, and scrambled eggs a few hours later and she licked the bowl clean. Im not getting my hopes up but she did seem to gain some weight even though she wasnt eating.

[Susann]

Xyla's gestation was from end of Nov to beginning of June. Maddies was from beginning of Nov to end of May. I haven't plugged in exact days to get an actual day-count, but I can dig out my dates and do that.
I don't know what time of year Bill breeds his, but mine have been gravid through the cooler period which is what I figure contributes to the longer gestation.

Xyla mated right after I got her from Andrew, and then proceeded to not touch food AT ALL for 3 months, and after that just nibbled most of the time; my guess would be she only cleaned a plate maybe 4 times during her gravidity, but her appetite seemed to just slowly improve until she gave birth.

Maddie never gave up food all together, but appetite slowly decreased as she got bigger.

So far both my girls are eating normally. And growing

[hurricanejen]

Interesting. Thanks for the input, guys! I'll let you know how it goes. The other meraukes have excellent appetites, just not the one that is hopefully gravid.

You don't have to plug numbers, Susann, the general months were good enough for me It's not like this girl will pop out babies right on any sort of schedule, anyway! Ahhhh, now the waiting game....

[Dakota]

Waiting game? I call it a mind game!

[Hammock]

Marina mated the most in November and December. She ate really good up until maybe three weeks ago. She will now look at food but don't want it. She really is not that swollen for her overall size. Bella mated through November and December also. She eats anything put in front of her and she is huge. It's hard to watch her eat. Looks like she would bust. I have cut her portions back a bit. LJ didn't mate until Jan 21,14. She has never to this day passed up a meal since birth she is eating very well now and could possibly be pregnant but its hard to tell cause she was extra healthy already.

At least 100 + days have passed probably more like 110+ for Marina and Bella. Middle to last of Nov. was probably heaviest activity but they continued intermediately through December.

Mike