Devastating cumingi update & good news

[JPLReptiles]

Sorry I haven't given much for updates recently. My smaller Frankfort zoo stock female has past away. The male has grown into an impressive beast and I should of tried harder to fix the situation. He likes to copulate in the pond and there has never been a problem till now. I've always filled the pond to the same level but I saw what was happening and attempted to fix the situation but it wasn't enough. The big boy drowned the female while I was at work. There were no signs of trauma so I can only figure this is what happen. I'm almost certain the male drowned her while copulating in the pond. She had been having issues getting her head above water while they were taking care of business. I dropped the level of water a few inches but it just wasn't enough. What makes it harder is they had been copulating all week and she was cycling for her 2nd clutch here right behind the larger female as usual...May she RIP.

The good news is I was able to uncover 4 good eggs from my larger female. I'm sure she laid more but I just couldn't find them. I dug up atleast a third of the enclosure and that's all I could find. I didn't find them in a cluster, I found them after I had moved the substrate. I watched her laying and covering the burrow, sucks I couldn't find the rest! I do have a nest box in the enclosure which she laid in last time. This time she had no interest in the nest box, It's a good thing I have a decent amount of substrate throughout the enclosure!

The pair is doing very well, the other female will be missed. I am still looking for more cumingi!