Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My normal corn mated about 3-4 weeks ago, ate two pretty good meals and stopped eating. She shed last Friday/Saturday and has been active. I put a lay box in last night and she immediately begin sniffing around it, burrowing in and out. This morning before I left for work, she was lying in it. I am not even sure if she is gravid, she looks solid but not too much heavier than she did. This is my first venture into breeding so I am a little unsure. Are these signs that she may indeed be gravid and ready to lay or is it still too soon?

Thanks
Joel

Yes,.....the fact she stopped eating is also another sign she's probably very gravid. This also coincides with the time-frame you've given here.

They will generally lay eggs 6-10 days AFTER their pre-lay shed. It should be just a matter of days now......good luck!

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

When my female was gravid, if it's not so visible from above, or your just unsure, the easiest way to tell was to pick her up and dangle her in front of me, like hanging a candy cane on your finger, belly facing to me. When you look at her tail, her bottom third was much more rounded (almost inflated looking) than usual, where it's normally flat, like a loaf of bread looks in cross section. All your other signs indicate though that she's likely gravid. The food refusal part was odd, because she was really curious about the mice, and smelled them out for quite some time, but never commited to putting her mouth onto the food.

So, congratulations!
-----
Tom

"The more people I meet, the more I like my snakes"

Tom, Doug thanks for the input. Another question: should I have a lid on the lay box or will it be ok w/o one? I don't want the sphagnum to dry out.

Thanks
Joel

Well,...if at all possible, I would also use a lid with a big hole, or notch opening cut into the side. It keeps things moist, and even MORE importantly offers the gravid female a natural sense of security to lay,....duplicating her "natural" insticts a little more, and even possibly minimizing the tendency to get "egg-bound".

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

Will do.
thanks,
Joel