Reptile & Amphibian Forums

We have a pair from Loma Alta that bred at the same time three other pairings bred which have laid clutches of 11, 11, and 13.
However, the Loma female has yet to lay. She stopped eating about a month ago and went through what I thought was a pre-laying shed, but still has not laid her clutch. She has resumed eating, and I can definitely see several lumps and a general fatness in the distal half of her body. I've read that ptosin injections can precipitate laying in these circumstances. If we choose to leave her alone, and wait to see what will happpen, what will be the possible outcomes? Any suggestions or anecdotes would be appreciated!

Marlon

I have not had to deal with this first hand, and would recommend you take her to a vet that is experienced with herps.

An egg bound female that does not eventually pass the eggs will likely die. Any medication to induce laying should be handled by a qualified vet (see my first comment). And any attempt to aspirate the eggs so that she can pass them naturally should be done under the care of a qualified vet. I have also heard of vets removing the egg surgically, but this is a last ditch high risk effort that will leave th female sterile if she survives at all.

Look for the vet if she has not already passed all those eggs. This is likely way more involved than a do-it-yourself project.

Lance

Thanks for your reply...I am taking the snake to a vet who will first give oxytocin to induce egg-laying, and later will aspirate the contents of the eggs if they are not laid. I don't like the idea of surgery, both from a cost basis and the loss of fertilty. Thanks again for taking time to respond!