Reptile & Amphibian Forums

We had a male in with our albino granite female from Dec 9 to Dec 15. On Dec 24, she shed. On Jan 2, the last 1/4 of her body swelled, this lasted for 3 days then went back to normal size. Tonight we checked on her, it looks like she swallowed a watermelon. The last 1/3 of her body is huge. I will get Michelle to post some picks tomorrow.

When she swelled on Jan 2, I thought she might be ovulating, but it lasted for 3 days. Usually ovulation only lasts for several hours. I also thought it was too quick after putting them together. Last time she shed was on Dec 24 and the last time she ate was Nov 2.

Could I have seen a preovulation on Jan 2 and this is the actual ovulation now and do they have a preovulation swell. I know they have preovulation sheds. She is twice as big now than she was on Jan 2.

I know they can ovulate twice, one for each side, but I don't think they would be this far apart.

I guess I will know tomorrow if the swelling goes down, I was curious if anyone else has seen this before.

Thank,
Randy
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Randy and Michelle
Art In Scales
(719) 439-4199
info@artinscales.com

Here are some comparison pictures. I have put red lines to indicate where the swelling starts. She is laying almost in the same place so it gives a better idea of the amount of her body that has swelled up.

This picture I took on January 2.

This picture I took this morning.

Thanks again.
Randy and Michelle
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Randy and Michelle
Art In Scales
(719) 439-4199
info@artinscales.com

Well, if you're confused, by golly, I'm just the fella to make you even more confused. Hahaha!

Randy, I think you know that this is really out of my league, and I'm not afraid to admit it. Last year was my first year breeding any snakes, and even though I learned a lot, there's a lot I still don't know and a lot that I've already forgotten within a year's time.

Did you see her rolling any last month or this time?

Since nobody else has replied yet let me throw something on the table to be considered.

I don't know what the swelling you saw last month was, whether it was more of a false ovulation, pre-ovulation, or something else. but I believe her shedding on 12/24 was most likely a pre-ovulation shed and you're witnessing ovulation now.

I think that if she ovulated back on the 2nd then what you're seeing now could be the actual forming/growing of the eggs, but that wouldn't be contained within the mid-section of her body, that would go all the way to the cloaca/vent.

I know I'm not really any help and I really can't be with the lil' experience I have in breeding. Maybe this post will at least draw a more experienced breeder out of the woodworks.

Sorry I didn't get to reply to his last night, I've been sick as a dawg with a bad sinus infection. I'm a snotty-nosed lil' brat. Hahaha!!!

Catch ya later!
Mike
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Due to political correctness run amuck,
this ol' hillbilly is now referred to as an:
Appalachian American

Hey Mike, thanks for the reply.

To answer some of your questions:

Did you see her rolling any last month or this time?

No, I didn't see her rolling, but she keeps going into her water bowl. She doesn't fit very well, it's a 32qt tub we use to house the ball pythons. We pulled her water bowl out and put a concrete mixing tub in with her that had damp sphagnum in it. She hated it, all she would do is push it around her cage, so we pulled that out and put her water bowl back in. There is only about 1/2 inch of water in it, I'm worried she might try to lay her eggs in it, but Michelle is checking on her 5 or 6 times a day while I'm at work. Then I'm checking on here when I get home, so she is being watched a lot.

I think that if she ovulated back on the 2nd then what you're seeing now could be the actual forming/growing of the eggs, but that wouldn't be contained within the mid-section of her body, that would go all the way to the cloaca/vent.

I think you might have something here. This swelling is from her vent to about 1/3 the way up her body. I have thought the swelling could be the eggs developing inside her, which if you go by the ovulation on Jan 2, she should lay her eggs sometime in the next 2 weeks. I've always seen a post ovulation shed, she hasn't shed since the first swell. I guess she doesn't want to play by the rules.HaHa. Last year she played by the rules. We saw her ovulate, a few hours later she was back to normal, about 2 weeks later she shed. Then 27 days later we got eggs. This year the first swelling lasted 3 days and this one is still going and it's been over 36 hours.

Michelle is concerned that she might be blocked up, but she hasn't had any food since November. Several years ago we had a female become gravid and she hadn't completely evacuated. After she laid her eggs we noticed a hard lump a few inches from her vent. The vet recommended an enema, it worked great, the female wasn't too happy about it, but it cleared her out.

I talked to Jim Mason aka "Bebo" last night. He thinks she is ovulating now and what I saw on Jan 2 was follicular development.

Either way I should know something in the next 2 weeks, either she will shed or she will lay eggs.

Thanks,
Randy
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Randy and Michelle
Art In Scales
(719) 439-4199
info@artinscales.com

Definitely keep us posted. Either way it sounds like good news, it's just frustrating not knowing, huh?

Catch ya later!
Mike
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Due to political correctness run amuck,
this ol' hillbilly is now referred to as an:
Appalachian American