Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My female Tricolor is 16mths old and this is her first clutch. She is almost 20". It has now been approx. 10 hours since she laid her first and only egg. It feels like there might be another egg about an inch above her cloaca. Also, she never went off feed, actually ate a fuzzy on Tuesday. She goes from aggitation to just laying in the hide, the same as yesterday. Matter of fact she did it all night (I got up to check on her several times.)
This is a pic I took of her this morning. What do you think, should I be worried? Anybody ever have a one egg clutch?

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Jenea

1:1 Tricolor Hognose
0:0:2 Florida Redbelly Snakes
0:1 Gulf Coast Box Turtle
1:1 Red-eared Slider
0:0:1 Green Tree Frog
1:2:2 Mediterranean Geckos
2:0 Cats
1:1 Kids
1:0 Spouse

Was the first egg a good egg or a bad/infurtile one? either way I think she will lay the rest by tomorrow morning, if not let me know! as for the feeding, mine will eat right up to laying time and some times even durring if I would let them! just leave her alone until morning!!! and dont worry!

JIM

The first egg was a good viable egg. She just seems to be very tired now, and when she is moving around she is very aggitated.

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Jenea

1:1 Tricolor Hognose
0:0:2 Florida Redbelly Snakes
0:1 Gulf Coast Box Turtle
1:1 Red-eared Slider
0:0:1 Green Tree Frog
1:2:2 Mediterranean Geckos
2:0 Cats
1:1 Kids
1:0 Spouse

Yup, she laid them just like you said. 36 hours between the first egg and the rest. I am just relieved all is well. 4 beautiful eggs!!!

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Jenea

1:1 Tricolor Hognose
0:0:2 Florida Redbelly Snakes
0:1 Gulf Coast Box Turtle
1:1 Red-eared Slider
0:0:1 Green Tree Frog
1:2:2 Mediterranean Geckos
2:0 Cats
1:1 Kids
1:0 Spouse

I hate to say I told you so BUT!
good job, be sure and show us pictures when they hatch in about 74 days at 79 degrees. and be ready for her to lay again in 28 to 30 days! and again and again and again.....

jIM
www.westernhognose.com

I wouldnt be suprised if you get twins or just very large babies out of those eggs, they are huge for tri-colour eggs!!!
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www.hognose.co.uk

Either would work for me!! I am just happy all are viable. Is 36 hrs the norm? She seemed to really have a time between egg 1 and 2.
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Jenea

1:1 Tricolor Hognose
0:0:2 Florida Redbelly Snakes
0:1 Gulf Coast Box Turtle
1:1 Red-eared Slider
0:0:1 Green Tree Frog
1:2:2 Mediterranean Geckos
2:0 Cats
1:1 Kids
1:0 Spouse

Oh, forgot, those eggs are the same size as the eggs my Easterns laid last year.
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Jenea

1:1 Tricolor Hognose
0:0:2 Florida Redbelly Snakes
0:1 Gulf Coast Box Turtle
1:1 Red-eared Slider
0:0:1 Green Tree Frog
1:2:2 Mediterranean Geckos
2:0 Cats
1:1 Kids
1:0 Spouse

Do you keep yours seperated from the males at this point, or reintroduce them in a week or so? I plan on giving her a break to recover, but my male seems pretty lonely. I haven't even seen him crawling around since I seperated them. Until now thay have been housed together in a 36"w x 20"d x 18"h enclousure.
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Jenea

1:1 Tricolor Hognose
0:0:2 Florida Redbelly Snakes
0:1 Gulf Coast Box Turtle
1:1 Red-eared Slider
0:0:1 Green Tree Frog
1:2:2 Mediterranean Geckos
2:0 Cats
1:1 Kids
1:0 Spouse

i wait till she has had her post laying shed and had a good feed the put a male back in.
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www.hognose.co.uk

Well, she ate two fuzzies the morning I found the final eggs.She seems really tired though, hardly moving since Sat morning. I did not know about a post lay shed...I will have to watch for that. Thanks.
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Jenea

1:1 Tricolor Hognose
0:0:2 Florida Redbelly Snakes
0:1 Gulf Coast Box Turtle
1:1 Red-eared Slider
0:0:1 Green Tree Frog
1:2:2 Mediterranean Geckos
2:0 Cats
1:1 Kids
1:0 Spouse

In all my years I have never seen or herd of a post egg-laying shed with any of my tri-color hogs. After they lay their eggs they eat like mad for three plus weeks and then have their next (pre-egg laying shed) I have never had one lay eggs then shed (without laying eggs) and then shed a second time and then lay eggs. It always goes like this:
Pre egg laying shed, lets say on 5-8-06. Then eggs are laid 2 or 3 days latter, on 5-11-06 then shed again on 6-8-06 and lay eggs on 6-11-06 and so on and so on. For 8 or more months or until you stop her by not putting the male in with her (witch I only put my male in with my females about one time for every 2 to 3 clutches) and cut down on feeding to about 1 mouse a week or less and cool her down so she thinks its time to hibernate. I would love to see other peoples records to see what works for them! thanks.

PS the eggs dont look big at all to me.

good luck
JIM

Hmmmm, i just had 3 females lay and within 10 days they have all shed again, so i called it thier post laying shed, you could view it as a prelaying if you want!!!I suppose that in another 10 they will lay again to its swings and round abouts!

As far as eggs sizes are concerned, they are long and eliptical, mine are much smaller and oval, but i suppose it could be because mine laid 20 in one hit? Heres the eggs;

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www.hognose.co.uk

Heres one on a dollar:

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www.hognose.co.uk

One of my females just laid her 2nd clutch of 13 eggs today. Here is one of her eggs on a dollar.

Jim

So Jim, do you push the calcium when your female are gravid? I have heard that doing so really improves the egg quality, as well as size. At the reccomendation of Artcat, I started dusting with calcium after the first lockup, and feeding her twice a week. Seems to have worked well for her first clutch, considering her age (16 mths).
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Jenea

1:1 Tricolor Hognose
0:0:2 Florida Redbelly Snakes
0:1 Gulf Coast Box Turtle
1:1 Red-eared Slider
0:0:1 Green Tree Frog
1:2:2 Mediterranean Geckos
2:0 Cats
1:1 Kids
1:0 Spouse

I dont add anything, just adult mice and or rat pups! but it wont hurt!

that she laid 1 on the container floor, and 3 in the moist hide. I guess she didn't pay attention to the nest box debate and got confused! LOL! I found it funny that she did both!
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Jenea

1:1 Tricolor Hognose
0:0:2 Florida Redbelly Snakes
0:1 Gulf Coast Box Turtle
1:1 Red-eared Slider
0:0:1 Green Tree Frog
1:2:2 Mediterranean Geckos
2:0 Cats
1:1 Kids
1:0 Spouse

What ever works for them I suppsose!
good luck!

ps one of my females laid her 2nd clutch of 13 eggs to day as well. what fun this is!

JIM

Thats why the eggs didnt look big to you Jim, because yours are huge too, could be because she laid 20???
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www.hognose.co.uk

thats probably why. good luck with them lets hope they all hatch for you! thanks.

JIM