So Lily is fat as a tick, but I have only noticed what i believe to be courtship this week. Drake runs around all puffed up, and several times he has jumped on Lily, and grabbed her by the spikes on the back of her head. At which point, she starts waving her arms. His beard is black, and he does the whole frantic bobbing, while Lily does a more slow and methodical bob. So what am I seeing?? There is no biting of tails or limbs, just the back of her head.:dunno:

Breeding ritual...she is submitting and he is dominating.

So Lily is fat as a tick, but I have only noticed what i believe to be courtship this week. Drake runs around all puffed up, and several times he has jumped on Lily, and grabbed her by the spikes on the back of her head. At which point, she starts waving her arms. His beard is black, and he does the whole frantic bobbing, while Lily does a more slow and methodical bob. So what am I seeing?? There is no biting of tails or limbs, just the back of her head.:dunno:


The slow head bob and the arm waving is her submitting (as mentioned above). Now if you have noticed some severe weight gain it is possible that they have already bred. Are they housed together 24 hours a day for breeding purposes? Or are you doing a couple hours at a time when you can keep an eye on them? If they are housed together 24 hours a day than it is highly possible they bred once when you were not watching.

Also, females will bulk up a tad for the purposes of producing eggs (prior to breeding). Best thing to do is separate for a few days, reintroduce, and see if you get a visual lock. Then separate again for two weeks and at this point you should be able to feel eggs (if she is gravid).

Brian, they are housed 24/7, and she cam to me as a 150g 2 year old, so I have been bulking her up on purpose. I will try to get some pics today of her "ordeal" LOL! Do they males loose interest once the females are gravid, like snakes do?

Not so much lose interest, more the female, though still being submissive, is no longer being receptive to the breeding. It is a deffinate possibility that she is already gravid being that they are housed 24/7. Id separate and watch her behavior for a week or so. Id be willing to bet you have a gravid female right now.

I house mine in pairs 24/7 as well and mine do this type of behavior just about every morning and evening....Usually the females show no repsonse back....but sometimes I'll see arm waving and head bopping from the females...One of my females I have even seen her get an all black throat as well at times....Warm soaks also seem to turn my males on as well and make them act this way...

I house mine in pairs 24/7 as well and mine do this type of behavior just about every morning and evening....Usually the females show no repsonse back....but sometimes I'll see arm waving and head bopping from the females...One of my females I have even seen her get an all black throat as well at times....Warm soaks also seem to turn my males on as well and make them act this way...
She is doing the black throat well

Caught a part of what I was talking about. After the vid ended, Lily positioned herself in front of Drake and did the slow bob......but my camera died...:mad:


YouTube- Lily and Drake

They are looking real nice Jenea.....:cheers:

judging from that video I would guess your male has never bred before and is not sure of the process. I suggest separate them for a week then reintroduce. Should get him more "in the zone".

good luck.

judging from that video I would guess your male has never bred before and is not sure of the process. I suggest separate them for a week then reintroduce. Should get him more "in the zone".

good luck.
Yes, this is a first for both of them.

I don't have any advice since I'm a newb too. But I wish you the best of luck!!

He just does not know what to do with it...I agree seperate them for a week or 2.:yes:

Is it possible to keep pairs or trios together 24/7? Everywhere I read bashes people for keeping groups and not separating pairs...

I keep mine together in groups. If the males don't kick in in the spring then I pull the group, soak them, and while they are soaking I grab a different male and let him scent up the cage for awhile. Pull him back out and put him away, put the originals back into their home, usually enough to have that male wake right up! I've been doing that for years, I have never seperated them out unless I get a girl that needs to come out for a break.

Is it possible to keep pairs or trios together 24/7? Everywhere I read bashes people for keeping groups and not separating pairs...

Cookie cutter forums tend to preach things like that. But in all honesty as long as the behavior is good (IE no one is having problems in the habitat) than you will be fine. Of course if you do not know reptiles enough to know what problems to look for than you should not try it. I keep my females in pairs with no issues though my males live alone (as I feel it makes them more "into" breeding when they do not live with the females)

Hows things goin man? any updates on your predicament? lol

Seperated the girl, and Drake went into an instant funk, hiding in the corner, just picking at his food, refused to interact, just moped around. Left her out for 3 days. Finally gave in a put her back. He instantly perked up, went all football player with the chest bowed out, and started chowing the food down again and acting all "manly". :dunno:

Mine have been like that as well.thx for the info guys.

All that was/is is mild relocation stress. He needed a bit more time separated from her so that it would "flush" out of his system. Then I'd bet he will breed her. Problem with permanently housing a male and female together is that the male will be dominating like he should be but not be as interested in the act of mating.

But I did not move him, just her? I took her out of the enclosure, and left him alone, so there should not have been any relocation stress on him.

"relocation stress" does not pertain only to a dragon being moved to a new habitat. Any big changes (or small changes for some)can cause "relocation" stress because they have to adapt to their "new" habitat (in your case him not having a cage mate).

I house my ladies together, but i keep the guys seperate as they are all pricks. i only let em see the females when its time to mate. I actually had to seperate two of the females because one was about 90 grams heavier than the other , and you could tell she was runnin the place. out she went, and she was mad. still is but she's getting over it. the smaller one is finally starting to eat again...i'll prolly put em back together when they get within 15 or 20 grams of each other.

"relocation stress" does not pertain only to a dragon being moved to a new habitat. Any big changes (or small changes for some)can cause "relocation" stress because they have to adapt to their "new" habitat (in your case him not having a cage mate).

My core male, Hercule's will go through "relocation" stress when i move his log out of place. I have to put everything back just like it was when i clean his cage or he'll mope for weeks. he's worse then my 2 year old getting weaned off the boob :lmao: