Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I guess I lost on this one. This female DblHet Sunglow died on Thursday, due to being full of slugs. I am fairly sure why this female was so full of slugs. The albino male that was breeding her died while breeding her kind of crazy too,he literally died while breeding. Still in the breeding position and everything, most likely from a heartattack! If you are going to go I guess that is the best way.LOL!!! I just thought I would post this to show some of the folks just starting out that this stuff ain't all peaches and cream. There are as many if not more heartbreaks than triumphs. Like my Pop always told me if you can't take the heat stay out of the kitchen. I fortunately have two more DblHet Sunglow girls that are gravid and doing great!!!

Al Brown/Brown's Boas

Man that really sucks. To lose an albino and a dh sunglow. Very sorry to hear about that but at least you have the other girls.

I am very sorry to hear about your loss, thank you though for sharing the pics. I have never seen inside a gravid snake in that stage. Hope things go well with your others.
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2.2 Columbian common boas (Zeus, Athena, Aphodite, Hades)
1.1 Corn snakes (Appolo, Boreas)
0.1 King snake tri striped cal morph (Helios)

Been there myself and it sucks when you lose them.

Wishing you much better luck with your other females.
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Thanks,

Dave Colling

www.rainbows-r-us-reptiles.com

0.1 Wife (WC)
0.2 kids (CBB, a big part of our selective breeding program)

LOL, to many snakes to list, last count:
13.24 BRB
12.14 BCI
And those are only the breeders

lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats

Al, very sorry to hear that. How far along was she?
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1.0 ghost
1.1 albino
0.1 het albino

I didn't catch the ovulation, but her last shed was on 1-19-07 so she wasn't far along at all.

Al Brown/Brown's Boas

Sorry for your loss Al, I've been there myself a few times. Always a hard pill to swallow, but it comes with the territory if you do this long enough. You win some, you lose some!

Hope your other girls drop some nice litters for you.
Good Luck!

that sucks Al. I'm sorry that happened. Sounds like you are taking it very well.
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Greg Holland
GM HERPS
www.imageevent.com/gmherps
gmherps@sbcglobal.net

If you aren't prepared for things like this to happen then you probably shouldn't be doing it.I have been a fulltime reptile breeder for the last 8years. And have been breeding and keeping snakes for the last fifteen years so I have a little better understanding of some of the risks inherited with my profession. I think a-lot of people starting out go to a show see all the babies and think its just that simple slap two snakes together and presto instant added income. This why most that get in soon get out once they realize there is a-lot more to it. Breeding snakes is without a doubt the most rewarding thing I have ever done next to the birth of my own two boys it is also the most heartbreaking thing I have ever done. There is three hard years of work gone into that female to get her to the point she is ready to breed and then to loose her in a night. Definitely can make you start to think about a career change. Anyway just have to put this one in the loss column and think positive about the rest of the season. Sorry so long just my thoughts on the biz of breeding.

Al:

Our hearts go out to you.

Brian
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Brian Gundy

www.for-goodness-snakes.com

and is this preventable? I've lost 2 females like this but I though it was because picked them up.

There could be a-lot of things that went wrong, she was trying to pass the slugs and couldn't. A tear in the lining of the uterus from all the pressure of the slugs.It could have simply been stress.It would be interesting to do some research on the differences in body condtions in females that are having good litters and ones that are going to slug out. An Ultrasound would have to be used to tell what was going on. All and all it just shows how life threating a slugout can be and even full term normal pregnancies have their risks. There is risk when you breed and this can be the outcome! It isn't fun, but it's the risk we all take when decide to breed out animals

n/p
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Caden Chapman
slithering.serpents@gmail.com