Reptile & Amphibian Forums

19 days after her pre-lay shed, Cher started laying her clutch of 11 eggs late last night. I think the delay was because it's been so cool and rainy in Maine for the last few weeks... I've always kept my gaigeae at "room temperature", which this time of year should be in the mid 70s to low 80s. Until a few days ago, it didn't get above the low 70s most days, with little to no sun. Finally on Thursday we started having some seasonable weather, and between that and the supplemental heat I started providing earlier in the week, she finally laid her eggs.

Nate

Congrats Nate! She is beautiful, I may have to try these as my first non U.S. milk!
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Todd Hughes

Congrats Nate. That is a long time post shed...I bet you were pacing. One of my girls is 5 days post shed now and looking big.

Dave

DNS Reptiles

Nice clutch Nate! I have a question about Black Milk clutches. My female is plenty old and big enough for a clutch as I purposely held off breeding her until she was older. This year is her first clutch and everything seemed to be going fine up to this point; saw the male breed with her several times, she eventually refused feeding, had her pre-lay shed about a week ago and I saw an obvious slug in her "egg box" Friday morning. Then, this morning she had 1 more smaller egg that was suspect of being a slug as well. Tonight, nothing. I'm a little worried as I would expect to see an entire clutch in this time-frame and not one here and one there. Thoughts?
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Ken Roshak
BlackSwampSerpents@toast.net

It's not uncommon for slugs to be deposited up to a week before the fertile eggs... happened to me a couple years ago.

I appreciate your input. I'll keep a close watch.

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Ken Roshak
BlackSwampSerpents@toast.net

Wow Nate. I was about to post the exact same thing. My female finally laid last night 19 days post shed. 12 nice eggs. I'm in north central Mass. so we've been having the same crappy, cool weather as you up in Maine. I too resorted to putting some supplemental heat on my females (50 watt infrared spotlight) to give them a spot near the egg box where it was close to 80. Ambient temp. in the cage was about 74 with it dipping down to 69 a couple nights.

This was a real test in patience, though last year she laid 17 days after shed.

I have one other female black milk who is 14 days post shed and she looks ready to burst. I'm hoping this clutch will be hatched and eating by the Manchester Show in October. I know you are too.

Rob Haneisen