Reptile & Amphibian Forums

This is a WC Eastern Virginia Black Rat. She laid a clutch of 12 eggs about 60 days earlier. I fed her well and put her back in with the male. Since then, I have been feeding her about every five days three rat pups. So what do you think; Fat or Gravid?

I say healthy and plump.
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0.1 Snow Corn "Hope"
1. Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Chunk" (Goonies)
.1 Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Peaches"
0.0.1 MO Locale Black Ratsnake "Molly" (Flogging Molly)

As we say in Missouri, "I ain't goin back to Missouri!"

I'm going to say: Fat
Rats are high in fat
That is one niiiice looking blk rat

We will know soon after the next shed. It may be a while; her eyes are still clear.

FYI: Large mice and small rats have about the same percent of fat in their bodies. 23.6% vs. 23.7%. Isn't Google great. You can find information on just about anything.
NUTRIENT COMPOSITION OF WHOLE VERTEBRATE PREY

I'd say there is a good chance its gravid, and I only say that because i've had lots of black rats that were pretty plump, and many that laid eggs.
Its got that posterior rounded off look that gravid ratsnakes tend to get when close to egg laying.

with good body weight they can easily double clutch.

I think she is gravid. I will let eyeryone know after she sheds. I will be cooling her off again in late November, so she will be gravid next spring for sure.