Reptile & Amphibian Forums

ok I have a possibly gravid albino i say possibly because she has shed 2x's after breeding activity i saw no visable ovulation so i took the first shed on 1/8 as her pos giving her due around april 23rd ish. well she shed again on 3/9 i didnt change her dut date and eventually forgot about the second shed focusing on the april 23rd due date. now april is long gone and she now is not eating and has been very pissed off lately open mouth hissing which she has NEVER done before. a friend of mine reminded me of the second shed and when counting the days after the second shed, if she is gravid she should deliver any time i have shown him pics and he states she looks like a gravid boa to him and he has been breeding boas for 16 yrs with lots of success. i have posted pics to get more opinions. please share your thoughts

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JIM ROYAL

She is very thin, you say she is not eating? Have you offered food during her entire "pregnancy"?

There looks to be a small lump towards her vent, I didn't see a date for the second shed....if I were you I would find that and do the math.

It is just my opinion but I think this girl looks way to thin and emaciated and a trip to a qualified vet is in order.

Good luck with her...keep us posted.
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Joel Thomas

Don't tread on me!

2nd shed date was 3/9 making today 108, in these pics she is stretched out and yes does look thin but to the touch she is still very firm she began the breeding cycle at just over 10 lbs and now is just over 9 the pics were meant to show the "flat tire" look to the last 3rd of her body.

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JIM ROYAL

She looks to be much plumper in this pic. I hope you are not thinking that I am attacking you...I am not

In the first set of pic's she appears to have that flat tire look that we all look for as being a great sign. This again is just my opinion...flat tire or not I am not comfortable when the spinal cord is that evident along with ribs showing.

I would be concerned that she is in a weakened state, maybe those things look exaggerated to me because I do not have albnio boas....you asked for opinions and I gave mine, not to offend you at all but because something didn't look right to me.

Truly best wishes that she will pass a healthy litter with no complications....I am sure she will appreciate a nice rat
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Joel Thomas

Don't tread on me!

Looks to me like something is in there.
You'll just have to treat her for the R.I. and give her a smaller meal after she drops .
Then I'd forsure keep treating for R.I. if this is the girl.

. . . Lar M
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Boas By Klevitz
Boas By Klevitz

She looks really thin. How long has it been since she ate? How does she hold herself when you pick her up? Does she hold her tail tight or does she let it dangle? AT this point i wouldn't try, but in the past week or two? Next time i would be aprrehencive(can't spell) to post a pic like that. Just my two pennies!

Many gravid females if bred when pretty young or not very hefty, if they do not eat during breeding and while gravid, will look exactly like that just prior to giving birth. I say the animal looks like she could pop any moment!

You could use a fetal Doppler heart monitor to confirm heart beats of unborn baby Boas. But I would be watching for the babies.

Anybody wanna bet me $10?

Good luck and NICE cage!!! Take pictures of the babies in the goo while they are still in the cage would ya!?!?
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Jeff Ronne Sr
The Boaphile
Director USARK

Originator of Boaphile Plastics
The Boaphile Boa Site

I for one hope that she throws an exceptional litter and that everything goes well for her in the end
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Joel Thomas

Don't tread on me!

i don't know that i would post a pic like that! Either way best of luck.

I know that people often get bashed for posting pics with sick animals, but he is being honest and not trying to cover up the complications he is experiencing. Obviously he is trying to do what is right with her (a vet check could be in order to deal with the R.I. but medication could have an adverse affect on the unborn neonates so he can't really be blamed for holding off a little while longer - most other people would do the same.)

Typically, I don't have a problem with people posting pictures of their sick animals (if the admit or at least recognize that there may be a problem). Nor do I understand why some people get so up in arms when another keeper posts a picture with a dirty cage or tub - we all have dirty tubs from time to time. They all get cleaned, but some snakes are messier than others and it can be difficult to keep their tubs "in order" all of the time. I have a couple "messy ones" that typically have all sorts of substrate in their water dishes within 30 minutes of me changing their water. Those individuals get their water changed out twice a day, but they are also the most apt to move their hides from one end of the tub to the other (it seems they like to take it with them like a hermit crab).
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Stay United!

"...I say 'apparently' because despite all our progress she is not at all a tame or handle-able snake and gettting her from that cage would re-start a war.. and we've had a good armistice for several months now."-Gus Rentfro - I love this quote!

thanks for saving me some typing Brandon! Like Jeff said,depending on the weight and age of the female and if she refuses food during the pregnancy they're gonna look a little rough around the edges.

This forum is for people to post their animals ask question to further their knowledge,meet new people and get help from more experienced folks when a situation or question comes up like this. With that said I see nothing wrong with posting that picture. How are you gonna know if you don't ask? He's obviously concerned about his girl and this is one of the best outlets for quick info and help.

To me,she looks like she has a decent load in there and i'd say mostlikely a healthy one. I don't know how much body weight she had prior but a couple of months off feed isn't gonna make them look that skinny. There are mostlikey babies in there draining her as they grow and develop. Once she does drop though,i'd start off with giving her a rat half the size of what she usually eats. Some folks like to treat their new mommas to a big jumbo or large rat which is ok if the female held good weight or ate during the pregnancy but your girl didn't so to big of a rat might not be the best thing for her stomach. Goodluck and keep us posted!

I had a girl drop this year that looked just like her. I would just be scared to post something like that in fear of being flamed wich i guess i did alittle. Sorry! After she dropped she wanted to eat everything! She dropped in march and has already put on a good amount of wieght. Didn't mean to flame! Best of luck! Update us with baby goo pictures soon!

I agree....

He's here looking for advice, being upfront and not hiding what he knows and IMHO, that female looks OK. Duh, she's skinny but skinny in a way that is totally understandable.

IMO much better than some of the fat POWER FED females I've seen posted on the forums that no-one said anything bad about. I'd be willing to bet she'll have a better litter and come out the other end of breeding much healthier than those powerfed, overweight ones do. She's probably very close to how a wild animal would look at this stage of gravidity (excluding the morph color that is )

Just out of curiosity, any comments on this out of text BRB pic?

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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 (05/26/2009):
36.51 BRB
29.42 BCI
And those are only the breeders

lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats

for all your honest opinions, no wories i do not feel as i am being attacked, some people are quick to judge the practices of others, thats their right, and I asked for all to voice their thoughts thanks for that. I know that i take good care of my animals, and fyi she is being treated for her RI with tylan as she is my top concern. with that being said.
she was bred to a hypo het albino so should have a very colorful litter! and Jeff i will be sure to take pics of the kids still in the goo and post just for you lol.

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JIM ROYAL