Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have a female that was last seen copulating on june 3 she has last month she was back and forth between water and the heat stay in one or the other for days the last time she ate was June 20th and now she stays on the hot side of the cage...i have been keeping it around 85....she refuses food but doen't really show the skin between the scales of being gravid? Is it to early and if she is gravid when does this occur? If she wasn't wouldn't she feed? I am a very impatient person and this time of year wears on me anyone have any thoughts? Thanks for your help Jason K

Jason,
...Some of them show skin between the scales when gravid and some do not. It mostly depends on the size of the snake and the size of the litter. If the snake is not too large you can let her crawl between your fingers and you may be able to feel the lumps of each of the babies. A snake that has not eaten since june 20th will be empty of all feces and even if you cannot feel individual lumps if you feel more bulk aft of midbody than it has forward of midbody it may be gravid. If you are careful and have a good touch you can sometimes feel the heart and later the gall bladder as they pass between your fingers. An empty stomach will often make a whooshing gassy sound as it passes between your fingers. Some snakes are easy to palpate and some keep their muscles very tense and you cannot feel anything.
Jeff

>>I have a female that was last seen copulating on june 3 she has last month she was back and forth between water and the heat stay in one or the other for days the last time she ate was June 20th and now she stays on the hot side of the cage...i have been keeping it around 85....she refuses food but doen't really show the skin between the scales of being gravid? Is it to early and if she is gravid when does this occur? If she wasn't wouldn't she feed? I am a very impatient person and this time of year wears on me anyone have any thoughts? Thanks for your help Jason K

Jason,

The behaviors you've described are good signs that the animal is gravid. Jeff is right about "palping" for babies. You can also gently hold the snake by its front 1/3 and let the back 2/3 dangle in the air. Look at her belly. If she's gravid, she'll take on a distinct lumpiness on her underside.

Hmmmm... June 20th she refused food? My prediction is that you will have babies in late December. Merry Christmas! You might just make our game with the last clutch of 2006.
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Mike Lockwood
www.tooscaley.com