from natural predators within the
enclosure. Alternatively, they could
be seeking access to UV rays, which
they would not receive if sheltering
beneath the iron.
Another noted behavioural change
in the gravid females
concerned their breathing.
Both males and non-gravid
females took normal,
light and relatively quick
breaths every second or
two. The gravid females,
however, took prolonged
(6-8 seconds), deep
breaths that sometimes
resulted in their entire
torso being off the
substrate. The females
were seldom handled whilst gravid,
but were extremely docile and easy
to approach for observation. They
showed no apparent aggression to
conspecifics, and in fact the males
appeared to defer to them when
encountered in the enclosure. By late
November the males were no longer
aggressive toward each other and
tolerated each other’s company.
All three females also ceased feeding
at least a month before giving birth.
were moved to a raised garden bed
2.4m long by 0.9m wide, encircled
by corrugated iron. Approximately a
third of the floor area was covered
by a roof made of plywood. The
substrate consisted of pine needles
and sugar cane mulch; a shallow
water bowl was provided,
along with some hides, and
there was a spinifex-like
plant at the opposite end to
the shelter. They shared this
enclosure with a colony of
White’s Skinks (Egernia whitii)
which appeared to completely
ignore them.
The gravid females took deep
breaths that sometimes
resulted in their entire torso
being off the substrate.
1.
Baby blues.
On January 24 th , by which time all
of the females had stopped eating,
it was decided to move them to a
smaller enclosure, in order to make it
easier to observe the animals, as well
as locate newborn neonates. They
On February 26 th , 2015, on
a cool overcast day, the first of the
neonates began to appear. Angela
was the first of the females to give
birth, having 10 neonates spread
across two days. The first day she
gave birth, the weather turned
1. Three of the newborns in the smaller
outdoor enclosure.
Photograph by Blaise Richards.
2. One of the captive-bred juveniles
enjoying some fruit salad.