Tag: reptiles

Poop happens!

by goatsby, posted in Heloderma, Gila monster, Husbandry
If an image could be a scratch and sniff… I know you can smell this!

Gila monsters pooping in water bowls, especially freshly cleaned and filled ones, is a tale as old as time. When you walk into the room you know immediately what happened and it’s maddening! At least it was until I changed my perspective on this crappy situation💩.

It’s going down for real.

Ever notice that your Gila will often wait until the freshest, cleanest water is offered before a life-altering bowel movement is made? Yep, I have too! Makes you crazy, but this should actually be viewed as a good thing. Over the years I have come to appreciate this twisted ritual as a way of ensuring my Gilas are eating, and defecating, in a healthy way. Gilas can and will hold their poop in for long periods of time which is likely a survival technique to retain moisture in periods of drought, and though I have not has any issues with impaction it could be supposed that little water or a lack of water could lead to this over time. Therefore, is the poopy soup water bowl really a bad thing?

Clean water is essential for your Gilas!

It should go without saying that bowls should be checked daily and changed straight away when the water has been soiled. Gilas can and will bath in their filth if given the opportunity, which will not lead to anything good. Clean water offered daily is truly essential in keeping your Gilas healthy and regular. Take a different perspective on that stinky water bowl next time you put it in, and the task of cleaning it will not be so bad (though good vibes does nothing for that smell)!

Hot Tub Gila Monster Time Machine

by goatsby, posted in Heloderma, Story of the day, Gila monster, reptiles

Gila monster soup? Two Gilas one water dish? Nah, Hot Tub Gila Time Machine! Of course they have access to their own water bowls, but what fun is that? This is Indy and Misty and they follow each other around like any young couple in love. Thankfully they didn’t do what Gilas always do in the water bowls, yet💩!

Photo shoot with Gila 41

by goatsby, posted in Heloderma, Gila monster, reptiles

I don’t often like to show off, but Gila 41 (Jane, DMB fans will know) was my 2024 holdback and she has really become a stunner. I certainly can’t claim this, only her parents and God have that honor, but I’m glad to have made the introduction. Her (I guessed female at birth and it certainly seems to be shaping up that way) parents are female 03 Belle and male 23 Thunder. These Gilas were not paired this year but I may put them together again next year after this! She has always had a sweet disposition and has remained that way. Some Gilas start off spicy and stay that way, Jane is a sweetie pie in contrast.

Gila 41 as a baby

We have eggs incubating now and should be hatching around Halloween, reach out if you want to join our 2026 waitlist! ¡Buen provecho!

The long wait until Halloween..

by goatsby, posted in Breeding, Gila monster, Heloderma, Uncategorized

With all the excitement of breeding season coming to an end, the only thing to do now is leave the eggs alone and wait until a very distant Halloween arrives. Though I do check on the eggs every day (making sure phorid flies have not gotten into the boxes and oxygen exchange is taking place) they’re not moved or messed with until hatching. I found if the eggs make it through July they’ll usually make it to term. Though, I did have an egg almost make it all the way and then suddenly die with a grown baby inside a few years back. That was a bummer to say the least!

As with all things Gila monster nothing is straightforward. We had a very good year with eggs, though two first time females paired with first time males did not produce viable eggs, but that was to be expected. Are stalwart female females Belle and Heather did what they do and produced beautiful eggs, laid on time at the same time. With Belle and Heather I was able to predict oviposition within two days of my projected date, which is huge in keeping track of how things should be going. This year another female (Lucy) became egg bound after laying three eggs which was a first. I was able to take care of it myself and so far it seems to have worked as that large egg was passed as she is still alive. Egg bound Gila‘s are a real threat to their health and proper monitoring and action are required. Egg binding will kill a female Gila monster without doubt, and time is of the essence in this case.

Now the focus is on nutrition as we prepare for next year. Armed with another year of success and failure I keep detailed notes and reflect upon what worked, what didn’t work, and speak to other breeders about their trials and tribulations. It’s easy to see why casual breeders have trouble with success breeding Gila monsters. It takes a lot of focus, dedication, and time to have repeated success. Hats off to all my friends and fellow Gila breeders making it happen every year!

Gila monster nest guarding

by goatsby, posted in Breeding, Gila monster, Heloderma

Over the past few years successfully breeding Gila monsters I have seen an interesting behavior that is fascinating; nest box guarding! Each year after laying eggs my females back fill the nest boxes and then vigorously defend the nest. I cannot re-connect the cages with the males for at least a month after oviposition! The moms get extremely aggressive and if I put my hand in to grab or move something they run over to attack.

I am curious how this works in the wild as it’s obviously an innate behavior, but with wild Gila monsters breeding habits virtually unknown to us it may be some time before we know the answer.

Once the female Gila monster backfills the nest I know viable egg laying is over (I also check on ultrasound to be sure). Some slugs can still be laid after the nest is filled, but they are most certainly bad.

I how in the future we can piece the puzzle together between wild and captive behaviors and shed more light into the secret lives of Gila monsters!

Egg Day 2026!

by goatsby, posted in Breeding, Gila monster, Heloderma

Yesterday one of our females laid her first egg of the 2026 Gila monster (Heloderma suspectum) breeding season, followed up by two more females laying today! There are still more to come but the excitement is growing! So far only three slugs out of 13 eggs, but I do expect a few others to turn over the next few weeks. Stay tuned for more posts and updates!

PELS bells! It’s almost time for Gila monster eggs!

by goatsby, posted in Breeding, Gila monster, Heloderma

The pre egg-laying shed (what I calls PELS) is a sure signthings are progressing reproductively inside the female. This shed is different from any other – the pieces come off in large bits whereas it is usually small chunks over a period of 10 days or so during a regular shed. I ultrasound every few days to keep an eye on the progression and keep detailed notes to try and anticipate egg laying. PELS occurs after ovulation and sends me a visual signal to get things ready for oviposition. Nest boxes ready? Check. Incubator set up? Check. The hopes and dreams of getting lucky enough to seeing a baby Gila hatch this year? Check, check, double check!!! Two of the five females we are breeding this year are deep in PELS (Belle and Heather pictured here), two more are starting (Misty and Paisley) and the last is just starting to ovulate (Lucy). Fingers crossed for another great year here at Goatsby’s Place and to all my friends breeding Gila monsters! Here’s to an amazing 2026!

2025 Gila monster Season update: Eggs a-comin’ and the long wait ahead

by goatsby, posted in Breeding, Gila monster, Heloderma, reptiles
Pairs are separated after ovulation.

The pairs have been paired and soon we get to see how things went. I’ve been doing this long enough not to expect miracles, but I must admit to being a little more than excited about having six females, including our axanthic, potentially laying eggs this year. It is always a bit like Christmas morning when you’re a kid waiting for Gila monster eggs, you’re not quite sure what you’re going to get, but you hope it will be everything you’ve dreamed of all year. All the planning, cooling, feeding, and pairing comes to fruition or failure now.

The Gilas get very close throughout the season.

Setting up the pairs in hopes of achieving specific traits such as high pink or orange, reduced or abnormal patterns, or axanthic, is meticulously planned based on babies that have been produced here. I am in touch with many of the folks that have purchased Gilas from us here at Goatsby’s Place and track how they grow to try and replicate these traits. The axanthic line, originally from Seward’s project, is very exciting and we hope to have some 100% hets this year from that pairing.

Smile you’re on Candid Camera! Pairs are watched and recorded throughout the day and night for mating activity.

After oviposition the long wait begins. It’s been common for eggs that will not make it to term to expire within the first 30 days after being laid, though they can go bad at any time really. Never count your Gilas before they hatch is a good analogy! There’s a lot of hurry up wait at this point but it’s all part of the process in breeding Gila monsters.

Winnie the axanthic Gila laying out of her shelter.

Every year starts out with hope and we are thankful that it has ended with baby Gila monsters for the past six years. Some eggs are not fertile or make it to full term, but as long a a baby Gila pips its head out of the egg in the fall it is all worth it!

2024 babies: which pattern do you prefer?

2024: What a year

by goatsby, posted in Breeding, Gila monster, Heloderma, Uncategorized

This is the third attempt to update everyone on what the haps be here at Goatsby’s Place and more importantly how the Gila monsters are doing. Every year of breeding Gila monsters brings new insights, challenges, and the understanding that my knowledge of these fascinating lizards is always less than I think. Emotions throughout the season range from hopeful and excited, to perplexed and frustrated. At the end of the day it’s a wholly humbling experience living with the world’s most intriguing reptile.

I love when we can start to see the coloring through the egg!

First thing, 2024’s Gila monster breeding season yielded four good eggs (out of 17 total laid) that are looking likely to hatch. With T-15 days to hatching I’m hopeful they’ll make it all the way. There are few things as exciting (to me, at least) as seeing baby Gilas emerge from the egg. I vividly remember reading Dr. Seward’s book and that iconic photo of a baby coming out of the egg dreaming one day this would be a reality. Six years into successfully breeding Gila monsters brings me no less joy!

The connected nest boxes, so the female can go in and out and dog around as she pleases.

This year we tried some new things to help increase viable eggs including connecting cages for paired males and females, nest boxes connected to the cage , and having monogamous pairs throughout the breeding season. We had a total of four pairs, two stalwart females and two first timers, and a male that just came to age and bred his first time. All were cooled last winter and testes and follicle growth was good.

Snuggle time, Gila style

But, all is not as it seemed under the ultrasound as three females produced, the first timer axanthic produced all slugs, and one female did not produce any eggs. It later turned out the the newbie male she was paired with had a shrunken testicle that was the start of a hemipenal impaction – didn’t see that coming. So, four eggs this year and I’m perfectly happy with that.

Female buried in the new nest box

There’s more to cover for the season, but wanted to share this update for now as we count down the day to 2024 captive born baby Gila monster hatchlings! Thanks for stopping by Goausby Place!

Any day now…