Reptile & Amphibian Forums

how can you tell when a female ball ovulates? sorry if its a totally obvious answer, im new to this.
thanx
lea

This is how.

ah so they just get fat.. thanx

They will look like they swallowed a football - and I mean that in a literal sense. They will be round - belly lifted off the floor of the cage - scales pulled apart huge. If you just look for fat -- you might mistake the swelling they do during building as ovulation.
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Tosha
JET Pythons

Hey Mike, what Morph is that ball you posted?

Thanks Tom

These are all good points. I would add if it hasnt been said, to keep in mind that the most noticable part of the ovulation lasts approximately 8-18hrs or so. You can miss ovulation altogether if your not home or are at work all day, etc., and then you need to look for other signs. You can look for the post ovulation shed which takes place about 2-3 weeks after she ovulates and then she is going to lay her eggs 30 or so days later (I know, I know, if you dont know that shes ovulated how will you....), because you will also begin to notice her belly (which has been large) now begins to take on the shape of the eggs inside. This is the point personally that I can get a better idea of exactly how many eggs my female is going to lay, because each egg will become outlined with a valley inbetween, like if you took a sock and put 6-8 chicken eggs inside, or like a sting of pearls, bloop...bloop...bloop...bloop. Alsi she will clear the area she is laying in of every speck of debris. She will first lay in very awkward positions, flipping half her lower body upsidedown or twisted around. Towards the very end she will begin to lay in a perfect coil, with the tip of her tail in the very center and the rest of her body spiraling outwards from there.

Best of luck. It seems like for-e-ver when you are waiting..