Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Diablo and Hecate bred a total of six times this year. Three of those were intentionally planned for, the other three took place when we had to take shelter from tornadoes, and I only had one large Rubbermaid container for the both of them. Their last mating occured on May 10th.

Ok, looking at her, she doesn't look gravid at all. At least not like the obviously gravid pictures I've seen. But, her back 1/3 is a little chubbier than usual.

Also, she is not eating, and hasn't eaten over a week now. The last thing I managed to get her to eat was a fuzzy mouse. Another thing I've read that females tend to do when gravid.

She shed on Monday (Memorial Day) and has been hiding in her laying container for over three weeks now until yesterday. Since yesterday, she has been out and actively moving looking for a way to get out. Trying to reach her head through the wire lid, and digging around in her substrate. I recently redid her laying chamber from vermiculite to sphagnum moss. Could it be possible that she doesn't like the moss as well as the vermiculite?

When you grab hold of her back end, she has a pudgy, full feeling. And when I let her crawl over my hand, squeezing gently, I can feel the "string of pearls" as everyone calls them. However, they aren't as big as I would have thought.

She still has another 8 days to go before she will have been 2 weeks after her shed.

My questions are:

Is it possible that she could be gravid after all?

How often is it that someone's female is gravid, yet doesn't look it?

Can one feel infertile eggs using the same method to feel fertile eggs?

Thanks in advance. She's just got me buffaloed at the moment as to whether she is gravid or not.
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~*Taceas*~
rain@mainecoon.net

"And shepherds we shall be, for thee my lord for thee. Power hath decended forth from thy hand so our feet may swiftly carry out thy command. And we shall flow a river forth to thee and teeming with souls shall it ever be. In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti." - The Boondock Saints

My corns stop eating just has you have said yours has. They generally get very active just before laying. Sounds to me like she will be laying anytime now.
Remove her water bowl so that she doesn't lay the eggs in there and make sure her nesting box is in place. I use moss but i know some people use vermiculite.
Egg size can vary from snake to snake and can depend on her age. I have one corn that just laid 30 rather small eggs and one that laid 10 much larger eggs. One laid 10 days
after her shed and one laid 14 days after.
Hope this helps. Keep us posted.
John

Corns typically lay their eggs 10 days after shedding. They get very restless a day or two prior to egg laying. Eventually they settle in their box and usually lay their eggs overnight. Stick with sphagnum for your egg laying box. It sounds like you are only a day or two away from having a clutch of corn snake eggs.

Tim

Third Eye