Reptile & Amphibian Forums

was curious to know your opinion. during the heat of the summer i had a young adult female suboc shipped to me. the shipping carrier dropped the ball and the package wasn't delivered until very late in the day. the snake had become so hot that it was probably moments from death. it was completely motionless and foam was coming from its mouth. it did however come around and is doing fine. i'm curious to know if that type of heat could have damaged her egg follicles? on one hand I think that the follicles may be able to endure the same extremes the snake is able to endure. then again, the follicles may be more sensitive to some extremes than the snake itself. what are your thoughts? thanks for a reply in advance. Rusty

Let me guess........DHL was the shipper. I'm also guessing the shipper did not use a cold pack or perhaps not even an insulated box. I guess you will find out at some future date if this traumatic delivery(foaming at the mouth.......yikes!)will be a factor in your animal's fertility. I hope the shipper at least refunded your shipping. If an overnight shipper misses their time, it is a freebie. However, your shipper has to put in the claim. Been down this road before.

Trauma is trauma. I first see if she can pee (white urates) if her weight is good I would hold off on feeding as she will need to re-generate a bit. Snakes are resilient and will heal, look for signs that all is well. Is she cruising her enclosure when at a good temp? Do not over react and coddle her but do not stress her system by feed her until you know all is well. If her other vital organs are working or start working you should be good to go and not worry to much about her follicles. Remember she has many organs and if all the others work the follicles should be OK.
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"Life without risk is to merely exist."

If she seems OK start with very small meals and make sure she passes them.
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"Life without risk is to merely exist."

Guess I should pay better attention as I read, guess she has eaten and seems OK. Why do you worry? Is she eating? Do her stools look good? Does she act like all the other sub-ocs? First clue would be something out of the ordinary maybe she only takes small meals? Maybe she goes off feed I would only worry if you see something you perceive to be different than the others. Reproduction is the highest priority for any life form and would have the most safeguards built in. (My opinion only) but I see it in other areas in the natural world, reproduce at all cost.
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"Life without risk is to merely exist."

yes, all seems to be well. have had her about two months now. thanks for your reply, they are always very insightful. rusty