First of all, let’s get this straight – the actual mating ritual is one of males supposedly hissing and puffing out their beards at each other and then attacking. Well, in our zoo, this seems to happen at any time one of ANY of the lizards feels aggressive, be it male to male, male to female, or female to female. This behaviour seems more likely to be one of turfdom rather than a precursor to mating.
The courtship is a rather bizarre display of pushups by the females, followed by a seductive walk, and ending with the tip of the tail in a flirtatious flick. It’s this last part that seems to send the males into orbit. The males puff and thin their bodies out, black beard, and walk almost on their side – looking much like a saucer on legs – and circle the female. The female continues her ritual of pushups, walk and tail tip, with a hopeful look in her eye. The idea is that the male will eventually jump on her back, and hold the back of her head with his mouth while he wiggles into position, hopefully with her help. Both finally separate, happy and content. The women fertilized, the men satisfied.
Alas, reality in our zoo. The women have learned – IF they want that sperm, they had better flick that tail IMMEDIATELY upon seeing Angel – he is a slam/bam/thank you ma’am kinda guy, who only seems to give out fertilizing sperm if the ritual is skipped – and he then promptly falls asleep atop the woebegone female. After a bit she wiggles out, gently, trying not to wake him until she is free. THEN the action starts – his sperm safely doing its duty, he now struts his stuff into the usual mating ritual – but usually picks the female he DID NOT mate with.
And the women know it. It has almost become a game with them. Who gets the romance after the mating – they all try for his attention to have that last little semblance of love showered upon them. The look of joy in the eyes of the one he picks shines over and above her knowledge that the mating is over, but she has the courtship. And the sad eyes of the others, especially the one already mated, breaks your heart.
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