Hello all,

I followed with great interest the thread on egg retention and what to do ONCE it happens, and also what different people think on how to avoid it.



Since many of the species we work with in my neck of the woods are different, but the problems are similar, I would like to share some thoughts and experiences.



Egg retention due to lack of a good laying spot: While this seems to make sense, I have almost never seen wc gravid females retain if kept in unsuitable conditions.(I am speaking of Liophis, Philodryas and Clelia species mainly) They will lay in the water bowl, they will scatter the eggs around, but in 35 years I saw very few cases of egg retention, including snakes kept by me, other people and rural zoos (where many snakes are brought in spring).

So whatever causes retention is more common in captive snakes, be it lack of exercise, diet (calcium metabolism included),dehydration or whatever.



I did notice a drop of the egg retention rate when increasing the calcium intake of the females.This was done injecting calcium, Vitamin D3 and vitamin b12 into the feeder mice once every few weeks.



Ovocentesis in cb snakes: although I dont have statistics, I do think (because I have seen it happen) that CAPTIVE BORN snakes bred at a larger size have better chances of not retaining eggs.

Wild snakes do well even if small.



Egg palpation: this is almost always unsuccessful, even if it looks good at first. The oviduct is a very thin membrane and pushing an egg ALONG the oviduct is difficult, many people end up pushing BOTH EGG AND OVIDUCT out of the cloaca.

Chances look better if one egg is right near the cloaca.



Ovocentesis: I have performed it dozens of times, both for my snakes and for people who bring me theirs to help.

Of course prevention is better, but once it happens, go ahead and save the snake! I use 10cc syringes.

A medium to alrge egg like a Clelia or honduran may be larger than that volume. The idea is to shrink the egg, then the snake will hopefully pass it in 1-2 days.



I try to have BOTH hands free to hold the syringe.Someone else has to take care of the snake.

When the plunger is pulled out, the vacuum tends to pull it back into the syringe. If some yolk is already in it, and if the snake moves, you might end injecting it back into the body, with potentially very bad consequences.

So one hand holds the syringe with the palm upwared and knuckles resting on a firm surface, while the other (your stronger hand) pulls the plunger.



I am just trying to share information the way I see it.

Avoidance of a problem is always the best course.

But I see nothing wrong with knowing what to do when bad things happen.



David

[ Show Entire Thread ]