|
|
If you'd like to breed one of the larger lizards that are
commonly kept as pets, the Bearded Dragon Agama is
relatively easy to breed. The Bearded Dragon Agama, also
known as the Yellow-headed Agama, is gentle, and makes a
good pet. They are often bought in pairs because this lizard
is a bit more social than other lizards, however it is not a
good idea to pair two males together during mating season.
Male Bearded Dragon Agamas often become more aggressive
during mating season, which leads to fights and stress for
the animals.
The first step to breeding is of course to make sure that
you have a pair. The male Bearded Dragon Agama has a larger
head than the female, and under the tail you will see two
bulges with a dimple between, the marks of the male. During
breeding season, the male Bearded Dragon also undergoes a
color change, becoming almost black.
A big indicator that your lizard is a female is that females
don't change color during mating season and they often grow
bigger than their male counterparts.
During the breeding season, make sure that your female has
adequate vitamins, calcium and other minerals. You should
also slightly increase the protein content of her food by
giving her plenty of insects to eat. You will also need to
provide each female with a private egg laying spot, such as
a covered bowl or box with an opening large enough for her,
with 4-5 inches of perlite or vermiculite as a substrate.
After breeding, the female should lay an average of 16 eggs.
Some will lay considerably more, but usually not all eggs
will hatch. Incubation takes from 55 to 80 days, depending
on temperature and humidity. Segregating the female from the
male when you are sure that she is pregnant is a good idea.
But keep in mind that the female, because she is stressed
due to breeding season, will not want any environment
changes. So having another glassed enclosure ready for the
male to move into is a better idea than moving the female
from a familiar environment.
Having a second pen is not only good during breeding season
if you intend to breed, it's also good for segregating a
sick Agama and for those frequent times you clean the other
glass enclosure. Bearded Dragon Agamas are messy and their
glass pens will have to cleaned at least once a week.
Unfamiliar environment changes can stress any animal so
having a second enclosure they are familiar with is also
good for this reason. The number one killer of Bearded
Dragon Agamas is stress that leads to sickness. This is
doubly true of breeding female Bearded Dragon Agamas.
It is not unheard of for the female Bearded Dragon Agama to
lay eggs even if a male is not present. The female will make
a shallow nest in the sand or in whatever litter you
provide. These eggs are infertile and can be discarded.
It is also not unheard of for the Bearded Dragon Agama
female to eat its newly hatched babies, so when the eggs
start to hatch returning the female to the pen with the male
is recommended, if you have allowed the eggs to hatch
naturally. If you have incubated them, (80 to 85 degrees F.,
plenty of humidity) just put the hatchlings into a tank of
their own, give them water and a little food such as tiny
crickets that have been dusted with reptile
vitamins/calcium, and enjoy.
Once the little lizards hatch, keeping too many together in
one pen is a bad idea. Six in a large pen is okay, but once
they get their growth going, keep in mind that you will have
to buy more pens. Once they become adult, two in a 3 to 4
foot pen is adequate. You will have to chop up the food for
the babies. Choking is a hazard for the little lizards. They
eat exactly what the adults eat, just in smaller portions.
Keep to this simple advice and you should have no trouble
breeding Bearded Dragon Agamas. Good luck and happy
breeding.
|
