Reptile & Amphibian Forums

One of my females laid her first egg a few minutes ago. This is our first ever breeding and we're very excited. My question is...about how long does it take to lay the whole clutch? Will she finish in a couple hours? Or overnight? Or tomorrow? I have no idea.

She laid that first egg about 12 hours ago, but hasn't laid another. She has a huge bulge right by the vent, but it hasn't come out yet. She left the nest box, so we gave her a drink of water (which she seemed to really want) and now are waiting. Does this sound normal? It is her first clutch.

Well, laying one and then having a 12 hour break doesnt sound "normal" but at this point Im not sure its something to worry about either. I wouldnt mess with her much though as in looking in on her(as hard as it may be to do) or giving her water or disturbing her. Just let her do her thing, if she hasnt laid in 24 hours then it might be time to do a little worrying. At this point though Ild just let her be ...

Well, I don't get a "great" feeling from the sound of that, and as the other poster suggested, if there's still nothing more after 24 hours or so, I would suggest a vet visit for possible "egg-binding" situation. If at all possible, I would take her there in her own enclosure with the "lay box" to keep stress down.
The vet would likely palpate the snake to get an idea of the egg positioning, and if needed, insert a syringe to draw yolk out of the egg(s) causing the problem. This makes it easier for the rest of the eggs to hopefully be passed by the snake.

good luck!, ~Doug
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"Better to be silent and thought a fool, than to open mouth and remove any doubt!"