Ok, here's one for you owners of adult, sexually mature, several years or older female Igs. Has anyone had or heard of an older female that has NEVER laid an egg in her life? When I adopted my female back in July, her previous owner had mentioned that he had always thought it was a male untill this past March when he had taken her into a Dr. and she was found to be female. Now this guy had owned her since she was a little baby, got her in 1998 and she's now seven. I recently contacted him to ask about her breeding history and how she's done with being gravid and laying, etc; not even thinking about that she was once thought of as male. He wrote me back saying that she had never, ever laid a single egg, that's why he thought she was male. And I was like, DUH! LOL, that made sense why he didn't know she was female. And I've read that sometimes females may not lay eggs every season, especially with no male around. But that that's kinda rare, so that got me wondering how common it is for a female to never lay eggs. Does anyone know why she would never lay? Does that mean that she never will? Even now that she has a boyfriend? Thanks for any info.
Oh, no, I do not want to breed. Am against bringing more babies into the world. There are too many out there now that don't have good homes. That's not my question. Since I got my male, I thought that if they did "get busy" and produce eggs, I'd provide a proper place for her to lay them, so as not to cause her any stress of where to lay. And then I was planning on taking the eggs and respectfully not letting them develop. There's no way I could bring more iggies into a world that has few too many humans able to care for them. I'm just concerned with the health aspect of her never laying an egg at her age. Because I know that females lay eggs even when there's no male around and they are just infertile. I'm just wondering if that means that she's naturally sterile (and that would be just fine with me) or if there might be a problem that should be addressed, know what I mean?
i am glad to hear that i have that same situation tho. i rescued mine and i have no clue about her past. in the year i have had her she has never laid. i asked the vet and she really didnt have an answer because i dont know her history
err my igs previous owners had her since a baby and thought she wasa MALE. i have now had her coming on a yr and seh hasnt laid eggs either. and as they thought she was a HE im guessing she never laid either. she is appx 8yrs old.
i dont know the answer for this.. i rescued lizzy and she has laid every yr. 38 last time, they will lay even tho no male was with them, i honestly dont know why she hasnt laid.. maybe contact the iguana den, i usually go for all my questions there! sorry not much help Megan
Thanks guys. Well, if 2 out of 3 of you female Ig owners have had the same experience, then maybe it's not too rare then. I'm just a little worried if that meant a health problem, but probably not if there's other Igs out there that have never laid eggs either. Thanks for the input, appreciate it.
I've had a female for several years now, raised from a baby, and she has never laid eggs. Iguanas reproduce seasonally, and seasons aren't usually represented distinctly in a captive environment. Males tend to display and become aggressive during "breeding" season, but females usually will not form or lay eggs unless they are cooled for the winter and then warmed back up in the spring. Cycling is important for breeding. A female kept in a seemingly "summer" environment, will most likely never lay eggs. Even though they are from more tropical areas, there is still a distinct change in temperature and humidity in the winter months which is what they respond to most. Some females will lay one or two infertile eggs despite all this though, so whether or not they lay eggs can depend on the individual animal as well.
Your best bet is just don't put them together. One of the biggest causes of death in captive adult females is egg-binding (mostly due to lack of muscle development in a captive environment). What size cage is she in? Also, could you please fix your signature to comply with the site's rules. Maximum 3 lines of text.
Well, you'll see egg-laying behaviour (digging, going off food, etc), and big swelling of the belly (despite the lower food consumption). Then, if you get concerned, it's vet-time for an X-Ray to see what's going on, but often by the time a problem has been considered, it's already too late.
