Hibernation / Breeding Discussion

[RehabRalphy]

I've been giving this "myth" some thought. Several years I've heard that tegus can't breed unless they hibernate. Well, with a few people who have successfully breed unhibernated tegus, that pretty much disproves it, or does it?

Maybe we have it wrong.

What about percentages of a successful clutch is what its based on? Though I don't have any evidence maybe its all a numbers game. If they do hibernate, the chances a greater as if they were not to hibernate.

Any thoughts?

 

[omgtaylorg]

Well I can assure you that daves blues dont hibernate and successfully breed, and this is the 2nd year in a row for Bentleys tegus to not fully hibernate, and his female looks extremely gravid, if its not an infertile clutch I will be 85% convinced that they do not need to hibernate to breed. Although it made speed the process up and give you a better chance of a fertile clutch, I dont think its safe to say at ALL that they cant breed without hibernation...because its been disproven which means its untrue. But I also think that if you plan to breed, I suggest hibernating for one the food cost is less, and two you wont risk them not breeding. Just my 2cents.

 

[Beasty]

Yeah. I'll buy that for a dollar Taylor.
Hibernation is a natural process as is breeding. If your tegu chooses not to hibernate for what ever reason I don't think it should hinder things. Hibernation just cycles things better and helps to use nature's triggers more readily I think.
In short if they go down I'm not gonna stop 'em but if they don't, I'll try not to worry. I do have to say though, I would feel better with a definitive study on the matter as I do plan to breed and would hate to have "un-breedable" tegus or lower yield or mortality rate because they didn't hibernate.

 

[VARNYARD]

I am like you Mike, I have my doubts on this as well. Bert based this on a few tegus he got back from a few people and zoos.

I will throw something else out there to ponder. Argentine tegus are found in Brazil and through out the Amozon river basin, where there is no cold weather in winter. The winters consist of more rain, and it is still very warm. Would Argentine tegus hibernate in the wild if the temps did not get cold?

It is also said that Colombian tegus do not hibernate, however, Colombian tegus can be found in central Argentina where it gets very cold with snow and ice in winter at times. Would a Colombian tegu go dormant during the winter cold?

Just something else to think about.

 

[RehabRalphy]

I mean I guess if I really wanted to get involved in this... I could do....

Bobby out of how many eggs you received how many hatched from hibernated and unhibernated females. EX: 285 of 300 from Hibernated

I could get the other stats from people like Dave and Bentley (dont know him.

This will give me a good idea.

(my tegus hibernate, this topic is for the sole purpose of discussion)

 

[VARNYARD]

Well thats easy, I do not have any unhibernated tegus.

 

[crimsonrazac]

I mean I guess if I really wanted to get involved in this... I could do....

Bobby out of how many eggs you received how many hatched from hibernated and unhibernated females. EX: 285 of 300 from Hibernated

I could get the other stats from people like Dave and Bentley (dont know him.

This will give me a good idea.

(my tegus hibernate, this topic is for the sole purpose of discussion)

The issue with that is everyone uses diffrent incubation techniques. Diffrent temps or bedding humidity ect ect.