Reptile & Amphibian Forums

One of my female's is laying up side down, Iam new to breeding BP's but dont they do that when there gravid? Also she is in shed. So what causes this behavior?
Thanks

Basking "belly-up" is a pretty good indicator that a female is gravid. My female never did it before she became gravid. Her eggs just began hatching last night. :0) I assume your female has been with a male? If she is in shed now, she should lay her eggs within 30 days from her date of shed. Good luck!!

Thats the funny part, as far as i know she hasn't, I purchased her at a pet store about 5 weeks ago,(I am always looking for big females) they knew nothing about her as they had just bought her, except that a student going to college had to get rid of her because the parents did not want to care for her, so who knows. your females have only done this when there gravid huh? interesting?????? hmmm..........
thanks

They also do it when they eat a large meal. MHO
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www.BallPython.Us

Yes you are completely right. Almost all of my adults lay some what up side down or belly up after a large meal. Have you just feed this animal?
Jason

No I don't think thats it, she hasn't eaten in 6 days. Any other thoughts?
Thanks for the replies
Eric

I would guess the principal reasons would be for simple comfort or for thermoregulation. Lying belly side up occurs in males as well as females and in other species of snakes. As this is a more vulnerable position, snakes often seem to need some amount of seclusion to coil this way, such as a being in a hide container or not otherwise sensing the presence of humans. I’ve seen burrowers lie this way buried underneath the substrate. The main conditions I could correlate with this behavior are being gravid, being opaque, and having recently fed. But I think they may also do it any old time just because of the comfort factor, as we often shift positions when sitting, standing and lying prone.

Tangentially, I had a Texas indigo that frequently rested on his side. Likewise, I often see certain of my blood pythons stretched out straight, or in a big loop, totally on their sides. Now THAT is kind of creepy looking and I sometimes think for an instant that the animal is dead.

-Joan

there are few things more heart wrenching than coming to see your favorite ball python, or in my case scrub bloods white lip or carpets, sleeping totally on their side or upside down! the first time i saw my white lip like that i almost passed out! and i had even read about it and was prepared for it, well thought i was prepared. i get more and more into snakes every day, and just about every day i see them do something i havent seen before. i guess being born in the year of the snake was a good thing for me

J
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Jaymz
"got a bowlin ball in my stomache, got a desert in my mouth. figures that my courage would choose to sell out now..."

Yeah she was in her tight hide that way, ok thanks
Eric

In addition to laying inverted when they are gravid, I have male and female balls who lay this way a few days after eating a large meal.