Hello all this is my first posting on this site, i hope someone can help me.
I have a WD that is about 18months old and female. Last month she exhibited strange behaviour, digging etc and then laid eggs. We removed them as instructed and her behaviour and eating habits returned to normal. Now she has started digging madly again is she ready to lay again. I thaught they
laid once a year, now she will not even venture out of her viv which as a rule she does on a daily basis and does notr seem interested in her food

Hello,

I am the farthest thing from a WD expert but from what you have descibed, she is going to lay eggs. I think that not eating or even moving very much is a sign that she will lay eggs. Especially if she is digging. Have you noticed her get any bigger lately?

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Josh Shrader

1.0 Ball Python (Monty)
0.1 Red-Eared Slider (Woody)
0.1 Yellow-Bellied Slider (Buz)

They lay eggs for 2 weeks straight I believe....so they can lay more then once during that period, do you have an egg laying medium for her? Have you been giving her extra calcium and vits? Shes not going to want to eat because the eggs will be pushing on her digestiv sysyem, so thst nothing to worry about, a way of knowing if shes going to lay again is picking her up and gently feeling her belly for anything that feels like eggs..I would suggest you gettign her to the vet... that is our caresheet, ..hope it helps! http://www.herpcenter.com/showthread.php?t=6973

As jshrad said, haha I'm also the furthest thing from a WD expert, but comparing to our Bearded Dragons laying eggs then the things you are describing are signs of prominant egg-laying.

Are you breeding your WD? - does she have a mate? Or are these all infertile or unfertilised eggs?

Regardless of whether or not the eggs are fertile your WD does need extra calcium at this time and will need, and probably seek, more food after laying eggs, as the process of egg development does put a huge strain on the female's calcium sources and weight/health.

Now, if your female is simply laying eggs without being mated you can't really do a whole lot to stop her - just make sure you supply her with lots of food, calcium, an egg-laying site and privacy. Do not try to handle her or get her out if she doesn't want you to - stress can be a factor of egg-binding, as can the lack of a place in which to lay eggs.

Infertile eggs can be harder to pass than fertilised ones, so egg-binding can be more of a problem. See how she goes with laying but if she does appear to have problems then let us know so we can advise you as what to do; it may be necessary to see a vet at this time. Also leave her until she has completely finished laying and abandoned her egg-site until you remove the eggs, as if you disturb her during laying then this can also lend to dystocia (egg-binding).

If you want to prevent her laying eggs there is a trick you can try, which is to cool her as if going into the winter period and then bring her back to normal environment, although this could have the opposite effect and cause her to start laying again once it is "spring".

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"If you know everything you may as well blow your brains out because the reason for existence is to learn more everyday." - Mark O'Shea, 2004