Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Only one of my females have had their pre-egg-laying shed......
The good thing about Applegate Enclosures is there is always a nesting area available for them.....year round.......

This freakin MSP thayeri is getting ready to bust and hasn't even shed yet.......

All checking out their nests.....

Except this one....but she has finally refused the males.....She hooked up at least a dozen times that I witnessed....LOL

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John Lassiter
Poor planning and procrastination on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part...

That first one looks like those eggs are going to come out any minute! That has got to be uncomfortable for an animal that is normally sleek and slender.
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Bob
Pyromaniac AKA Greatballzofire
Keeping cats allows man to cohabitate with tigers. Keeping reptiles allows man to cohabitate with dinosaurs.

>>That first one looks like those eggs are going to come out any minute! That has got to be uncomfortable for an animal that is normally sleek and slender.

It's gotta be uncomfortable......Laying eggs has to be too....lol
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John Lassiter
Poor planning and procrastination on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part...

John they all look like they are "Busting at the seems". Great group of animals!!!
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Jimmy Tintle

My alterna female is also about to have her prelay shed. She is huge, and stopped eating a couple weeks ago. My question is this: although I have provided a box full of damp moss, at the warm end of her enclosure, she has remained in her dry hide box, also at the warm end. Do alternas routinely use a damp moss nest? She has never used a damp hide in the past, not even before shedding.

Could it be that I have it too wet? There is alot of condensation on the inside of the the lid.

Thanks.
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Kent

1.1 Hypo (het lavender, striped) cornsnakes, 2010
1.2 Gray-banded kingsnakes, blairs phase, 2008
1.1 Oregon rubber boas, WC, 20??

>>My alterna female is also about to have her prelay shed. She is huge, and stopped eating a couple weeks ago. My question is this: although I have provided a box full of damp moss, at the warm end of her enclosure, she has remained in her dry hide box, also at the warm end. Do alternas routinely use a damp moss nest? She has never used a damp hide in the past, not even before shedding.
>>
>>Could it be that I have it too wet? There is alot of condensation on the inside of the the lid.

I wring out wet moss to make it damp......
And ALL kings use a nest that is high in humidity.....and the right temps......75 - 82 or so......

I would throw out the box, turn the entire back half of her enclosure into a nesting area with damp moss and place a plastic lid or board on top of it.........
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John Lassiter
Poor planning and procrastination on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part...

And not use a nest box? Wouldn't the moss dry out quickly with the undertank heat.

Also, she is in a 40 gallon glass tank with screen top. Should I put her in something smaller (10 or 20 gallon)?
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Kent

1.1 Hypo (het lavender, striped) cornsnakes, 2010
1.2 Gray-banded kingsnakes, blairs phase, 2008
1.1 Oregon rubber boas, WC, 20??

>>And not use a nest box? Wouldn't the moss dry out quickly with the undertank heat.
>>
>>Also, she is in a 40 gallon glass tank with screen top. Should I put her in something smaller (10 or 20 gallon)?

Yes...do not use the box...turn an area of the enclosure into a nesting area......I have been using the back half near the heat but I am thinking of using the right or left half so that their is a temperature gradient.........

Leave her in the 40 and make a nest as mentioned.....She'll lay, but it is best to have it in there prior to the pre egg laying shed.....

I believe a moist hide across the temperature gradient is correct to have year round......but that is just me....
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John Lassiter
Poor planning and procrastination on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part...

I'll give it a try. One thing about using a large enclosure is that there is room to provide lots of temp and humidity choices for her.
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Kent

1.1 Hypo (het lavender, striped) cornsnakes, 2010
1.2 Gray-banded kingsnakes, blairs phase, 2008
1.1 Oregon rubber boas, WC, 20??

>>I'll give it a try. One thing about using a large enclosure is that there is room to provide lots of temp and humidity choices for her.

Yes.....that is true.......
Just not very good for young snakes......
Adult snakes like yours can benefit from it.......
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John Lassiter
Poor planning and procrastination on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part...

>>John they all look like they are "Busting at the seems". Great group of animals!!!

Thanks Jimmy......
Now the wait for eggs and the longer wait for hatchlings....I am so impatient.....lol
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John Lassiter
Poor planning and procrastination on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part...

I had 3 prelay sheds today....I need to get in there with the camera and take some pics....Just to busy, working in the yard today...Sometimes household chores come first before pics...
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Jimmy Tintle

Man that MSP is for sure HUGE. I hope everything goes well for her and all the others.

--Dennis

>>Man that MSP is for sure HUGE. I hope everything goes well for her and all the others.
>>
>>--Dennis

Me too........
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John Lassiter
Poor planning and procrastination on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part...