Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi All,
I got home from work this morning and checked a few cages and found that one of my cal kings had layed a few eggs. It looked like there was about 3 good ones and a few slugs. She looked like she still had an egg or two in her so I left her alone figuring I would get the eggs out when I woke up this afternoon. Well I just went to get them out and I'll be damned if she didn't eat everyone of them. I have never had this happen before. Have you???

thanks,
theboaguy

...i can say i have never had that happen.
daveb

Just a guess as to the why she ate them angle of thought.

I have noticed that the few times I have heard of a keeper seeing the eggs and then finding the eggs were eaten there where slugs involved. If a clutch in the wild has a high slug ratio it is less likely to make it through incubation. So regaining the lost energy might be better for the female in the long run and may actually allow a second clutch that season. Most of us know that you get a second clutch by feeding the female as soon as you can after a clutch so it kind of makes sense. Eggs have a 20% chance to make it with slugs all around but the female has a much better chance to lay again if she regains all the nutrients and calcium from those eggs... so eat em.

Later Jason

I haven't personally had that happen but a friend says his Cal ate her eggs.
One thing I feel I must do sometimes.....since nearly all my kings respond to me being in the room by getting in a feeding mode, is remove eggs if I can when I see 'em. Even if the girl hasn't finished, if she seems active, I'll get the ones I can out. If she's in a pure "laying" posture, I'll probably leave her alone for a few more hours at least.
:Mark
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Surrender Dorothy!

www.crimsonking.funtigo.com

Sucked to be me!

Let our female lay & wasn't quite done before we went to bed.

By the next morning, she had eaten them all. 6 or 7 I believe. She was FAT when we found her. Uggg.

We live, we learn. Was the only clutch we ever lost. Was a bummer. Smarter for it now.

Terri (& Forest)