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What do you think?

aanata1 May 02, 2008 03:08 PM

I keep getting this sneaking feeling that my WC female is Gravid, but I'm just not sure. It could very well be wishful thinking and she's just a fat happy snake I've had her about a month. This was the picture used on the ad that I purchased her from.

And this is her now

Replies (5)

Jeff Clark May 02, 2008 04:03 PM

It is hard to tell from the PICs how big she is? If over 4 pounds then she is big enough. The way she looks you should be able to palpate the invidual "eggs" if she is gravid. Let her crawl through your hands several times applying pressure with your fingers slightly into her belly as the back half of her body passes through your hands. Developing embryos will feel like individual soft lumps that are each about the size of a small hen's egg or slightly smaller. Recent imports do not often lay litters of viable live babies. Gravid BRBs will seek temperatures in the high 70s to low 80s and often spend some time lying on their sides. They will also typically refuse most meals.
Good luck,
Jeff

>>I keep getting this sneaking feeling that my WC female is Gravid, but I'm just not sure. It could very well be wishful thinking and she's just a fat happy snake I've had her about a month. This was the picture used on the ad that I purchased her from.
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>>And this is her now
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aanata1 May 02, 2008 07:04 PM

At this point holding her is out of the question, it would just stress both of us. She is a fresh import and sometimes will bite the glass on her cage when I walk past. Getting the pics that I did without her lunging at me was amazing! I would say she's at least 4 lbs, probably closer to 5, but I don't own a scale yet. On my list for my next purchase of supplies. She did refuse to eat once in the month, but it was a F/T. Every time I give her a F/K she takes it. She doesn't lay on her side, but does lean. And she tends to hang out in the part of the cage that is mid 70's, cool end, but that's just the past week. Before that she stayed permanently in the warm end. Any other advise or thoughts? Thanks!

I ordered a rack either way. Figured I'd use it next year if all else fails.

aanata1 May 02, 2008 07:40 PM

She moved and I managed to get a couple more pics without getting nailed. She must be mellowing out... hopefully.

rainbowsrus May 02, 2008 09:04 PM

wellllll, she kinda looks like she's got something in there???

But what???

What has been her recent (last month) feeding history and have you been finding/cleaning up defecations?

Several times I've had a female I thought might be gravid end up not being gravid. I usually get some that are "duh" gravid. I have yet to see one that I thought was not gravid drop a litter.
-----
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

aanata1 May 02, 2008 10:37 PM

I absolutely caught her laying on her side when I got home tonight. Her recent feeding is:
4/2 offered f/t med rat... refused
4/3 shed (no dull, no blue, just shed out of nowhere)
4/6 defecated
4/9 f/k med rat (ate)
4/16 f/k med rat (ate)
4/17 defecated
4/22 f/k med rat (ate)
4/27 defecated
4/29 f/k sm rat (ate)

She also hid for about a month after I got her (which could be normal for a new import) but now she just lays around in the middle of the cage no where near any cover like she just doesn't care.

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