Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I started to respond to a question on my egg thread and to go into a little more detail I lost a VERY special project this season. She was an Early 05 CB animal which has been on the forum a few times better known as "Orange". She's not well known compared to some projects but she always got a lot of attention while on the Ball forum.

Initially I freaked out thinking it was something I did but I did talk to several breeders and flukes happen time to time. I'm not quite sure what the cause was; whether it be egg bound or a drop in blood pressure from stress or??? She displayed no signs of illness, no excess weight loss. Just typical signs of being gravid. She was an 2005 animal and first time breeder. She was 2200-2400 grams prior to breeding. She had exhibited the classic "tail sinking" which my other balls exhibit at times before laying. I didn't see anything out of the norm. I went to gather eggs and found her lower half coiled and her upper body stretched out dead. At first I panic'd and felt like breaking down but I knew that would do nothing to help the eggs. I took a gamble and opened mom up with the hopes of saving her eggs. Yes, I'm positive she was expired before I made any attempt to cut. I slowly opened her body and looked for anything that looked "funky" Based on pictures of snakes I have seen online and compared to animals I have opened in Biology labs there was nothing that really jumped out at me as a abnormal. I could only examine visually based on reading and experience. I did carefully remove seven off white eggs out of her. The eggs had an odd color and illumination while candled. I did notice a few candled amber and several had a pink tint to them so my only option is to incubate and see what happens. They are now 7 days old and have rounded a little. One egg did have slight mold on the lower end but the others don't?? I've been told its very rare to save "C-Section eggs" but it was my only chance, hopefully I get something from them. This was my favorite snake and very hard on me but although stressful I'm trying to find the silver lining of the situation and use it as a learning experience.
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myspace.com/414reptiles

I am so sorry for your loss. I really hope the eggs are good and you get one that looks just like mom did. Please make sure to update on the eggs. Again I am so sorry for your loss.

Thanks i appreciate it. Im hoping for an orange pied...she was possible het... Its always hard to loose a pet
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myspace.com/414reptiles

Good luck with those eggs. You have a strong will, let's hope those eggs do too.

Condolences on the loss, I know I'm a wreck whenever one of my pets dies.

Regards,
Wayne A. Harvey
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1.0.0 Ball Python - Python regius "Cane" Rescue
1.2.9 Storeria dekayi Casper, Xena, Athena, & Kids
0.0.2 Thamnophis marcianus - Checkered Garters "spot" & "Zig"
0.0.1 Thamnophis sirtalis - eastern Garter - Princess
1.0.0 Thamnophis pickeringi - Puget Sound Garter "Sky" (adult, Sky blue)
0.0.1 Nerodia sipedon - Water Snake - "Aqua"
0.1.10 Storeria occipitomaculata - Red Belly snakes
0.0.1 Amelanistic Corn Snake "CY" Juvinile CB
0.1.0. Pueblan Milk snake "Oreo" adult CB
1.0.0. ASIAN GREEN SNAKE 3' WC Cyclophiops major
0.0.1. Savannah Monitor "CHOMPER"
0.1.0. Green Anole "Crystal" WC
1.0.0. K9 "ACE" Black Cockapoo
0.2.0. Feline"Felix"(R.I.P. 4/27/08) "Kaja" & "Silver"
0.1.0. calico RAT
2.4.?? Mice - Feeder farm - Crickets / fish
More herps than I could ever list out back on the land.

Sorry to hear about your female, that's got to hurt. Many years ago I watched a fat prairie lizard digging under a step by our house. Later that afternoon I found the remains that were left after she had been consumed by a cat. In those remains were 3 eggs that I incubated and they did hatch! I know your situation is different, but there is hope for the eggs. I wish you the best of luck in your efforts.
Paul

thats a tough one!! sorry for your loss! GOOD LUCK!

so sorry for your loss, i once faced a post mortem c-section to try to have a silver linning, its was with a veiled chamelion and i had never tried to incubate them before, i hope you have the luck i didnt, keep us posted as a herp lover in the vet field id love to know what happens! maybe it will help others inthe future!!
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hanging out under heat lights burns up my brain cells!!

I remember reading an article about endangered turtles in Florida that were getting hit by cars because a road was between their habitat and laying grounds. Well, one guy thought about it and started dissecting the road killed turtles and incubating the eggs he found in them that weren't smashed up. Apparently he had quite the luck in doing so, and ended up helping the population quite a bit.
Later on they built a "turtle tunnel" under the road, but the point is...he did it...so I'd say you stand an equal chance.

Good luck.
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"What is man without the beasts?
If all the beasts were gone,
men would die from great loneliness of spirit.
For what happens to the beasts,
soon happens to men.
All things are connected."

-Chief Seattle (Duwamish Tribe)

I hope this can give you some hope. Just a few weeks back I successfully hatched all but one cesarean delivered spotted python eggs. The circumstances were not exactly the same but if you removed them soon enough they should hatch. The eggs looked bad and got a film of mold over them but they did hatch and the babies look great. I hope it works out for you as well. Good luck.

Ryan Young

a number of the eggs do look to be making a turn in a bad way.. there are a few that look like they are holding out but none of them candled with veins so im wondering if the off color of the egg makes veins less visable or maybe they werent full term like i thought.. Two or three have a chance of making it in my eyes but the odds are slim. it hurts to lose a snake and it will definately hurt not knowing if she was genetic after filling my self up with hope all these years. Time will tell if the eggs will make it i just need to keep a positive attitude and learn from this experience
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myspace.com/414reptiles