My female bearded dragon has a big belly. Is she about to lay eggs?

She may be looking for an area to lay eggs. If she is close to laying, you can usually feel the eggs through the abdominal wall. Female beardies do not need a male in order to lay eggs. They can become gravid regardless. The only difference is she will lay infertile eggs. Provide an appropriate laybox for her. Once she is done depositing eggs, you can discard them.

Provide a lay box or other area for her to lay. Keep her warm and as stress free as possible. If she hasn't mated, the eggs are likely infertile. Monitor for lethargy, loss of appetite or straining to defecate or straining to lay. You may need to have her seen by your veterinarian or a vet experienced in treating reptiles depending on how long it has been.

If there is any chance the beardies are any older, I would be thinking that one could be pregnant. This usually doesn't occur until at the youngest around 10-12 months however. It is best that they don't breed until even older than this as well, so hopefully this is not the case. Other causes of distended abdomen in these lizards are gastrointestinal impactions, constipation, overeating, obesity, and certain cancers. GI Impaction seems unlikely in this scenario due to the movement of the bowels. If this is an issue with constipation, enemas can be provided though I would not recommend performing this at home unless you are very familiar with reptilian anatomy. An x-ray would really help in this case provide all the information we need. It would show us if there are any eggs, if there is constipation, any sort of tumor (probably), and many other possible issues. Hope this helps!

Thanks for reaching out about Lizzie. Brumation is triggered by a drop in temperature in the environment and shortening day length. If you have a heating element on your system, the temperature should not be dropping. Being quiet and secretive for two days is concerning, as they usually remain active up to the time they lay, not for several days prior. If she is egg bound, a veterinary visit is recommended. Calcium injections and a drug to induce egg laying (oxytocin) can be given to stimulate egg production. She could be sick for other reasons with kidney disease being common in aging bearded dragons. If she is still eating, you have a little time. If not, she needs to visit a veterinarian. Good luck.

There are a number of disease processes that can result in the clinical signs that you have described. These include fluid in the belly, masses in the belly, enlarged organs, constipation/impaction, infectious diseases (bacteria, parasites, etc.), stress (they will puff up with air to look bigger), and others. The decrease in activity is, unfortunately, not specific for any problem, but may further indicate that LJ is not feeling well. I would recommend having LJ evaluated by a veterinarian. They will be able to perform an examination and see if anything abnormal is felt in the belly. Depending on what they find, they may recommend diagnostic testing such as radiographs (x-rays) to look at the contents of the belly, or blood work to evaluate systemic health. I hope that gives you a place to start, and that LJ feels better soon!

The black dot could be the kidney or liver visible through the skin. This is normal and no cause for concern. Eggs in a gravid female are easily seen through the skin as well. The female may become lethargic, hide more and eat less. Provide a lay box for her to deposit her eggs. A plastic container filled with moist peat moss or vermiculite should be placed in the cage.

Ideally, a female crested gecko should be in the 35-40 gram weight range and at least 18 months old. If she's never been with a male, the eggs will be infertile. If she was previously mated, it is possible she may have retained sperm. Female cresties can retain sperm for 6 months or longer. A gravid female will typically lay just two eggs every month during breeding season. Egg binding can be characterized by. A swollen abdomen, lethargy, loss of appetite and frequent straining to lay. This condition should be addressed immediately by your veterinarian or an experienced herp vet. You can read more about breeding and egg care here: http://www.reptilesmagazine.com/How-to-Breed-Crested-Geckos/