Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Noticed a slug in Betty's cage yesterday. When I looked further all I found were two slugs, a small piece of a third slug and what looks like a unabsorbed yolk. Betty went from looking like a gravid female to a just fed one.

I'm thinking she fixed herself up a big ol tater salad. Not much to do other than clean up and move forward. Do have a couple more due this week including Bullseye who is looking huge!!
-----
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

Damnit!! damnitdamnitdamnit.

Sorry Dave. At least you're having a fantastic season this year and she's just fine. Next year.
-----
Julie

www.[url ban]/gfx

Yeah, I'm dissapointed about not getting a litter from her, I know last years litter was great. But, I'm still very, very grateful for all the good stuff that has been going on.

For me it boils down to -

I am a breeder and I do understand the reality that not all litters will work out.

Do I like it - NO!!

Do I accept it - yeah, but not easily.

Will I do my best to try and prevent it - DUH!!!

I post these sad stats more for others so they know it's not all that easy. Even those of us who have been breeding for years have bad clutches. We have females that do not take at all. Sometimes females (and even males) will die during the breeding process - thankfully very few and very far between!!! There are babies born with birth defects, some of which are debilitating and require putting the baby down. Others are not so bad and IMO require investing time into making sure the baby is OK and finding it a good home.

THANKS for your support Julie!!!
-----
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

Yea, it happens for sure. When I have something go wrong during a breeding season, I go look at some of the other litters that are thriving and it helps. For you, I'd suggest a nice gander at Luna and then go look at the first Fluffy babies.

I think its great for you guys to post the bad along with the good. I have yet to breed my first litter of snakes, but I've had my share of disappointments with the furbearers. No matter how long you do something, no matter how much you know, you're gonna get the curve balls. That appears to be a truism regardless of species.
-----
Julie

www.[url ban]/gfx

Dave,
....It may be as you suspect that she delivered a pile of slugs and ate them. It has been my experince that when they eat one or two slugs they can do it without making too much of a mess but when they eat a bunch of slugs they mush up at least a few of them and leave a really gross mess in the cage. Have you considered that she may instead be "egg bound" with a high slug count litter? If she was mine I would put her into a bathtub of water to get here swimming and see if the extra hydration and exercise can get her to delivery anything else in the oviducts. Worse case scenario is that this gets her some hydration to go with a big meal of fatty slugs.
Jeff

>>Noticed a slug in Betty's cage yesterday. When I looked further all I found were two slugs, a small piece of a third slug and what looks like a unabsorbed yolk. Betty went from looking like a gravid female to a just fed one.
>>
>>I'm thinking she fixed herself up a big ol tater salad. Not much to do other than clean up and move forward. Do have a couple more due this week including Bullseye who is looking huge!!
>>-----
>>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

You know, I was wondering if she could be slug bound, but the "lump" really looks to me like a full belly from eating a large meal. I will take your advice and give her a nice warm (75 - 80) bath just in case!!!
-----
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

Dave,
...Did you ever detect any fetal heart tones on this snake? I would at least try the doppler with her now to see if there are any. In my limited experience using mine this year I have found that they can be tough to detect early but are much easier to detect late in gestation. I was very sure that my latest litter was going to be a good size litter of mostly live babies because I found so many different fetal heart tones. When I had tried listening for them a month earlier I had only been able to find a few. All of our failures have the potential to teach us something.
Jeff

>>Dave,
>>....It may be as you suspect that she delivered a pile of slugs and ate them. It has been my experince that when they eat one or two slugs they can do it without making too much of a mess but when they eat a bunch of slugs they mush up at least a few of them and leave a really gross mess in the cage. Have you considered that she may instead be "egg bound" with a high slug count litter? If she was mine I would put her into a bathtub of water to get here swimming and see if the extra hydration and exercise can get her to delivery anything else in the oviducts. Worse case scenario is that this gets her some hydration to go with a big meal of fatty slugs.
>>Jeff
>>
>>
>>>>Noticed a slug in Betty's cage yesterday. When I looked further all I found were two slugs, a small piece of a third slug and what looks like a unabsorbed yolk. Betty went from looking like a gravid female to a just fed one.
>>>>
>>>>I'm thinking she fixed herself up a big ol tater salad. Not much to do other than clean up and move forward. Do have a couple more due this week including Bullseye who is looking huge!!
>>>>-----
>>>>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

I had detected a tone but have to admit I have not re-checked her and once I found one heartbeat I quit. Maybe I need to be better at checking for multiple ones. I always do try and leave them alone as much as I can feeling that would be best for them.
-----
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

Great idea. Warm water lets down the oxytocin in ferrets and helps get things started. Of course that makes me wonder if there are ever snake cleanout shots of oxytocin. In ferrets and dogs, I go right to the oxy at this point.
-----
Julie

www.[url ban]/gfx

Hey Jeff, I just have neater eaters!!

When I came home tonight she had clearly made the day after birth body adjustment I always see. Going from back half all deflated to a more normal distribution of internal organs. Of course she still has the big lump stomach!! I did get her into a large tub with 6" of water, she sank to the bottom and kept moving some but not a lot. Kept her in there for over an hour and no change. Now she's back in her cage and in her water bowl so doing the soak thing on her own. Really looks like a normal just ate female BRB now.

Ah well, she seems fine, always next year!!!!!

>>Dave,
>>....It may be as you suspect that she delivered a pile of slugs and ate them. It has been my experince that when they eat one or two slugs they can do it without making too much of a mess but when they eat a bunch of slugs they mush up at least a few of them and leave a really gross mess in the cage. Have you considered that she may instead be "egg bound" with a high slug count litter? If she was mine I would put her into a bathtub of water to get here swimming and see if the extra hydration and exercise can get her to delivery anything else in the oviducts. Worse case scenario is that this gets her some hydration to go with a big meal of fatty slugs.
>>Jeff
>>
>>
>>>>Noticed a slug in Betty's cage yesterday. When I looked further all I found were two slugs, a small piece of a third slug and what looks like a unabsorbed yolk. Betty went from looking like a gravid female to a just fed one.
>>>>
>>>>I'm thinking she fixed herself up a big ol tater salad. Not much to do other than clean up and move forward. Do have a couple more due this week including Bullseye who is looking huge!!
>>>>-----
>>>>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
-----
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

Sorry to hear about Betty possibly slugging out on you. At least you have many other gravid girls!
-----
Aubrey Ross

©
www.SlipstreamSerpents.com

Sorry to hear about this, as they would have been great babies. I love my Betty baby from last year.
-----
Mike

7.13 BRB
1.2 Spotted Python
1.0 Cal. King

Yeah I know, but what can you do...go forward!!!

At least I have one of those as well, my Melanie is a stunner!!!
-----
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

At least I hope Bullseye lives up to her name and delivers a bunch of great babies right on target!

>>Noticed a slug in Betty's cage yesterday. When I looked further all I found were two slugs, a small piece of a third slug and what looks like a unabsorbed yolk. Betty went from looking like a gravid female to a just fed one.
>>
>>I'm thinking she fixed herself up a big ol tater salad. Not much to do other than clean up and move forward. Do have a couple more due this week including Bullseye who is looking huge!!
>>-----
>>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
-----
Renee
1.0 BRB (Loki)
2.0 amel & anery corns (Foxfire & Daguerre)
0.1 blood python (Duchess, arriving later this month)
1.1 Cats (Nightshade & Cuzzy)

Thanks Renee, It's nice to see the outpouring of sympathy from our little community. Yeah I'm dissapointed but not really bummed, I do expect some number of slug fests... it happens.

Bullseye is looking right on track, should drop within the next day or two (I think)
-----
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

So sorry to hear that... that has to be tough!
-----
5.19 BRB
10.20 BCI
0.1 Kenyan Sand Boa
0.1 Albino Corn Snake
2.8 Leopard Geckos

Dave,
I am also sorry to hear that. But I know you should have some beautiful BRB's coming soon and I cant wait to see them!!
-----
0.1 BRB
1.0 Columbian Red Tail Boa