Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have a female that shed on 12/16/07 and i am pretty sure she ovulated before.My question is according to the 25-30 day period after shedding can a female at this stage be gravid ready to lay and still be eating?In general i know most females do.....WOuld like to hear from the gang here....

I've never had one that would eat anywhere near laying. In fact, most of mine never feed from the time they start breeding until they lay. I occasionally have one that will take a meal or two between the last breeding effort and ovulation...

For the most part mine will feed heavily at the start of breeding then stop prior to ovulation - I've never had one feed after ovulation - as a general rule they just don't - tho occasionally you'll get one that will. If you didn't witness ovulation or if she is still hooking up with the male - then this may just be a normal shed cycle.

Good luck!
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Tosha
JET Pythons

Not the norm but I have a PIG of a het albino female that ate until a week before she laid eggs last year, then without skipping a beat, she ate 5 days after laying and has not stopped since. Needless to say she is ready to breed again this year. If only all ball pythons were like her. She is only 3 years old and over 2200g, One of her babies, an albino was the biggest baby I ever produced at 87g at hatching. Like I said, this is not the norm, most of my females that bred last year are taking this year off and for the most part I do not breed till they are 3 years old. This girl is the exception and one of my favorite ball pythons. I think this may be somewhat genetic as her babies are all pigs, eating like mad and growing like weeds, funny thing is, the father was a sparse feeder at best, eating only once a month if that much. The female albino she produced is only 5 months old and already pushing 400g. This year I am breeding her (the het) to a het snow who is also a beast feeder, I bet the babies will be hard starters that never eat well, such is the way with ball pythons.

with all that said keep in mind, snakes are like people, they are all diferent and maybe yours just likes to eat. the part of my corn breeding i dread the most is getting them back up to weight after laying, what i woulnt give for one that took prey the whole time she was gravid
Foot Hill Repties

I know this the ball python forum but since you mentioned it.I bred corns for years and most of my females fed right up to egg laying.I always fed rat pups and then pink rats while they were gravid.Terry