I have a pair of Mexican rosy boas that I have bred 2 years in a row.The first year produced 6 healthy babies. This last year, however, I got only 1 healthy baby,and 4 that were perfectly developed but did not live, still born.
Any ideas as to why I got the still borns?? The female ate regularily. Could this be a dietary defeciancy? The cage substrate is pine chips---could that somehow be toxic to the young? Advice, please!!!
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stillborn rosy boas
sneezy
Nov 30, 2009 12:25 PM
Replies (1)
joeysgreen
Nov 30, 2009 05:34 PM
"Could this be a dietary defeciancy? The cage substrate is pine chips---could that somehow be toxic to the young? "
It could be both of the above, and much more. Many people use pine chips, so while this is a possibility, I wouldn't say it's high on the list. Dietary deficiencies are rare; I"m presuming you are feeding adult mice? I know calcium deficiency is often blamed for still borns in animals where this is more common. Obesity, low body condition score, poor husbandry (temp spike, constant low temps etc) are all common possibilities. To really get a better idea, a necropsy of the young(and perhaps an exploratory of the mother) would fill you in better than I.
Ian
