Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have a greyband that layed 10 eggs early yesterday. It's been over 24 hours and there is still obviously one left. I left her alone hoping it would drop, but she has since come out of her egg lay box and has curled up in water bowl. I dont care so much about the last egg (although its prob a screamer alterna),I just want her to be ok. Any suggestions short of a vet visit? Thanks, Dave.

It is to late to palpitate unless you have expereince and know what you are doing. If done after she lays her vent is still dialated and it would have been easier.

I had one kingsnake retain and egg today. I decided to just leave her alone. Given time, they just pass them..

A retained egg could be caused by a prolaspsed oviduct (dystocia) which is due to the inability of the eggs to pass through the oviduct and cloaca. I have seen this while trying to palpitate and skin is covering the eggs causeing it retain.

Such retentions may be the result of one or more factors including poor husbandry, improper nesting site, improper temperatures, poor or inadequate diet (malnutrition), dehydration, and poor physical condition of the female.

I find it more to be the cause of a poor nesting site or dehydration.
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www.Bluerosy.com

Thanks Rosy. The nesting box was damp sphagum moss. Never had a prob before. Have had eggs from greyband in past as well as ball python and s. florida king. I'll try and b patient to see if it passes. did try to palpate but no luck. Thanx for reply. Dave.

A little more......how far up is the egg....near cloaca or further? Did you still keep the nesting box in there with the same sphagnum? How long ago did she lay? And have you offered any food items just yet?

Thankfully I've only experienced four occasions of a retained egg in the last 17 years of breeding, and each time I'd wait almost 2 weeks and practically give up (except in one occasion many years ago where I pushed the egg out.....along with the oviduct......and I lost the snake, a Honduran, a short while later...). On the other three occasions I changed the sphagnum and the female would lay the last egg. It may just be a weird coincidence, BUT, it couldnt hurt.
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Jerry Kruse
www.zonatas.com

And God said, "Let there be zonata subspecies for all to ponder..."

The egg is very close to cloaca, she layed others 48 hrs ago. She didnt seem interested in nesting box so I removed it, but now I will put in new box with new spagnum and yes, I was feeding other snakes in house and she picked up scent and seemed interested, so I offered a small hopper and she devoured it. Thanks for advice. Dave

I would leave her nest box in and leave her alone.

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Randy Whittington

I would leave her nest box in and leave her alone.

I agree with Randy.

As stated in my above post to not try palpitating unless you know what you are doing and the vent is still dialated.

That female of mine i mentioned yesterday, that had one egg left. She passed it last night. I just left her alone and never touched her.

What happens if you tried palpitating the egg out, is now the whole tissue area is inflamed even more. Sometimes they get inflamed from laying a large clutch and that sweeling is all that is causing the retention. Not to mention the stress you put on the animal . That would put her out of the egg laying mood.

Mine laid 18 big eggs. How many did yours lay? Extremely large clucthes sometimes retain. I don't ever notice egg retention with smaller YOUNGER females.
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www.Bluerosy.com

She is a 5 year old female, this is her first clutch and there were 10-11 eggs. It was a rather large clutch, but she is a good sized snake. She is now in new nesting box with diff spagnum moss and I'll leave her alone for a couple of days. Here she is with eggs...Dave

upon closer inspection of clutch, there are 12 layed, one left. Shes still in box with lump near tail...