Reptile & Amphibian Forums

So, my first attempted year breeding as some may know.

My suri female's due date is Friday and I'm all on pins and needles.... however, she just doesn't look that big in the back end to me. She had a post ov. shed and hasn't shed since then, but her rear half isn't big. She does seem like she's larger that she SHOULD be after being on a restricted diet since March, and no food at all in the past 3 weeks. She has been staying on the warm side a bit more than normal for the past week or so, and I have repeatedly caught her in "wrinkly" positions - making her spine a series of S shapes all the way from neck to tail, stretched out as far as she can. I never saw her in that position before breeding.

She's been positioning herself this way (alternately all curled up, with some "S"ing in her spine visible even when she's curled in a ball) for the past two weeks.

Since her "butt" isn't that big, if she doesn't have a litter or slug out within the next 10 days or so, at what point do I call it quits, expect no babies, and start feeding her again? I know boas can retain sperm for a while, but HOW long from her POS date should I wait? If there is a litter in there, I have to assume it's small, unless the babies have grown right along in proportion with the weight she has lost.

She seems more "nervous" than normal lately. She seemed to be pretty laid back when I adopted her (haven't handled her much since then), but for the past couple of weeks seems to twitch or breath hard when I come in to check on her (like I scared her) or really actively watches me, or shies away from my hand when I clean up her cage or fill her water dish. Is that normal for a gravid boa? I know they can become really nasty right after birth while defending the babies, but do they start getting attitudes right beforehand, too?

Thanks all, I'm biting my nails here. I'll post some more recent pics later, especially if she is S'ing up her body when I get home. I know to look for tail wagging as a sign that she'll be going into labor soon, and she's got a big cardboard nestbox in her cage now.

Here's hoping!
-----
Lauren Madar - OphidiaGems.com | CageMakers
1.0 BP, 1.0 Hog Is., 1.1 Hypo BCI, 1.1 Surinam BCC, 0.1 GTP

.... anyone? Just wondering what's the longest date after POS that people may have on record or have witnessed for a boa to give birth (whether the litter was viable or not). Thanks!
-----
Lauren Madar - OphidiaGems.com | CageMakers
1.0 BP, 1.0 Hog Is., 1.1 Hypo BCI, 1.1 Surinam BCC, 0.1 GTP

Someone on another forum mentioned an article that the Boaphile wrote for Reptiles that the range he has seen was 96 - 114 days POS.

I'd still love to hear if anyone has had a female go longer than that, or what to look for (slug binding? reabsorbtion?) if a female doesn't give birth after 15-20 days past her estimated due date.

Bueller? Bueller? Heh heh heh...

Just curious, my mind is churning whilst waiting (not so patiently) to see if my female will have a litter or not. My female never refused food, but I've heard that not all females will refuse. She hasn't shed since the POS, either, so that's good.

Any thoughts or opinions are appreciated.
-----
Lauren Madar - OphidiaGems.com | CageMakers
1.0 BP, 1.0 Hog Is., 1.1 Hypo BCI, 1.1 Surinam BCC, 0.1 GTP