pregnant female

[karmacham]

Hi all. It's been almost 3 years (I think) since I was here last..anyway, I'm back, and the new owner of a very pregnant Jackson's. I've only had veiled's up to this point, and it's been some time since I've had them. I need as much info as I can get...tips, what to expect, any special care for the mom, what to do after the babies come, etc. She is in her own cage and seems peaceful. I have a 20 gal long glass tank with screen lid sitting empty, and will be working on making cages for the babies that are screen. Will the 20 gal do for a few days after they're born? When do I take them away from moms cage? Any and all help is very greatly appreciated

 

[jdog1027]

How far along is she? A digital scale would come in handy. I had a guy tell me on here within the last week to expect a female to gain 1-2 grams a week up until time to give birth. If I were you, I would start trying to find a source of tiny feeders ASAP. Fruit flies are the way to go (Drysopholia hydei). They are very prolific and very easy to maintain- almost no work. A 20 gallon would work out for you. Only thing about aquariums is they have zero drainage. Jacksons need 60-80% humidity, but you want good ventilation. If your just going to use it temporarily, it would be O.K. I have 3 baby Jacksons right now that are doing great so far. I have an ultra-sonic cool mist humidifier from Walgreens piped into their cage ($40). I had no idea my Jacksons was gravid, until I walked in and found babies. When I did, I realized that she had slowed down her eating and would sometimes refuse food for 1-2 day stetches about 1 month before I found the babies. That might be a sign she is ready to drop 'em. After she gave birth, her feeding returned to normal, so it's a good idea to take note of food intake. For the babies, use your usual UVB linear tube and a basking spot that shouldn't exceed 80F. Ambient temp should be in the low 70s. That's all I can think of at the moment- I'm sure I'll remember something as soon as I post. Xanthoman is a wealth of good info on here when it comes to Jacksons.

 

[JoeG]

Congrats & welcome back. She will give live birth & you should remove the babies right away. The tank you have will be OK for a while, just make sure you have all the basics,Basking spot, UV light, temps not too high & lots of humidity. Have some fruitflies or pinheads ready for when they are born as they will start to eat in 1 to 3 days. Mist them indirectly often as they will probably drink before they eat. You can transfer them into screen later, It is preferred because of the better ventilation. Trick is to keep the humidity up [40 - 60 ]. Keep us posted !.....

 

[karmacham]

Thanks I was told she is ready to drop at any moment. Her belly is swollen pretty large. I've had her for about an hour, so I have nothing to compare her weight to as far as how much she weighed before. I can get a scale tomorrow. I'm in Florida, so fruit flies are abundant if I leave a piece of fruit out for more than a minute here but I will be checking into food tomorrow as well as a humidifier for them.