I know I have seen Jeff Ronne talk about this, and I have read plenty of books that mention them, but how many people have experienced these, and how has the end result been? I have an arabesque het albino female that is gravid by a sunglow, and this is the FIRST female I have ever had that has done everything according to the books, and it has all been like clockwork! there was copulation, a preovulation swell, a "football" ovulation, a POS 17 days later, which came off Feb 25th. And now, on April 25th, 2 days ago, I noticed she's in shed again, 2 months to the day! Now I know the gestation period is 4 months give or take, so that makes this shed exactly at the half-way point.... Her due date is June 10th. So I am just wondering how many people have had these and what opinions are about them? I am ANXIOUSLY awaiting the arrival of some hopeful SUNGLOW ARABESQUES!!!!!
Reptile & Amphibian Forums
Welcome to kingsnake.com's message board system. Here you may share and discuss information with others about your favorite reptile and amphibian related topics such as care and feeding, caging requirements, permits and licenses, and more. Launched in 1997, the kingsnake.com message board system is one of the oldest and largest systems on the internet.
Mid-Gestation Shed?????
Replies (6)
I've observed that most of my females will shed about a month to six weeks before parturition. I don't know if this is common among all BCI, but it seems to be pretty common in my collection. Most of my females continue to feed while gravid. Maybe that has something to do with it. I feed them very small meals in comparison to a normal meal. For example, a female that might normally eat a XXL rat every two weeks or so, gets a medium rat once every three weeks to once a month while gravid.
Good luck with your anticipated litter!
Mark
-----
uncommonboa.com
good call,she is about 6 weeks away. June 10th is her date. She has eatin, but only once, about 3 weeks after the POS came off. Ive tried to feed her twice since then, she's refused it both times. Based on the color of her eyes, I'll say she has 3-4 more days before this skin comes off. The only thing that has me concerned, being 6 weeks away, she's not as fat as I'd like her to be..... Hopefully that wont affect anything
I know what you mean. I've had some that got pretty thin and I just wished they'd eat something! Then I realized I was hoping they'd eat something so I would feel better about their condition. But in reality, if they needed something to eat, they'd eat. So I resolved to keep offering them food periodically, and if they didn't eat, they probably didn't need to. I haven't lost any females yet to starvation while being gravid (or otherwise for that matter). And, since I've accepted that nature still has a bigger role to play in this process than I do, (i.e. I don't have to be in complete control), I'm not as stressed. 
Mark
-----
uncommonboa.com
My first litter this year was from a Pastel CBLT bred by my 2005 summit salmon male, she's not a huge girl and dropped a decent litter of 19 full term babies at POS ꡥ days. She not just one but two mid gestational sheds.
They are all different and IMO the mid gestational shed is not a big deal!! Some will, most will not is the way I understand it.
-----
Thanks,
Dave Colling
www.rainbows-r-us-reptiles.com
0.1 Wife (WC and still very fiesty)
0.2 kids (CBB, a big part of our selective breeding program)
LOL, to many snakes to list, last count:
26.49 BRB
20.21 BCI
And those are only the breeders 
lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats 
...ALL my girls have been doing that. Just shedding away!
I've never had that happen before and am wondering the same thing.
Good luck on those sunglow arabs. I know you've been waiting a long time!
Aaron
yes, I definately feel like I have been waiting for what seems like FOREVER!!!!! I got stiffed last year, although I never saw an ovulation or a POS, I thought for sure she was gravid. But in the end, never got anything. But this year Im sure, she ovulated with the "football" look, then had a POS right on time, and now has the what seems like a mid-term shed, 6 weeks to the day away from parturation. So here's to hopin for a LOT of babies! Im just kind of nervous because she doesn't have that gravid look, she doesn't look as fat as I wish she did. Hopefully in the next 6 weeks it will start to show. When does everybody else usually see it? I know I have a normal het female that bred with the same sunglow, shes only 1 month past POS,, and she looks huge. Ever since ovulation she's been fat. Comments/suggestions??????
