Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I got a VERY gravid ball from someone in need of cash. She's definitly gravid. She's huge,lies upside down & on her side. Refuses food. I have no info on her breeding dates,ovulation....ect.
Today she shed and is lying in a VERY tight heat reserve postion. Does the shed indicate how far she is from laying? I know it's hard to answer without much info.
Thanks for any info
Dave

you could be expecting eggs in 27-30 days after shedding

Get your incubator ready... I`ve had eggs from 23-32 days after her pre-egg laying shed. Just curious, was this a normal X normal breeding? Mark Petros

...Actually, it's far from a secret, but I find that people
don't use this nearly enough. In a word...Palpation!

If she has eggs inside of her, and she just had her pre-lay
shed, you will (likely, unless she is *too* big) be able
to palpate her and COUNT how many eggs she has inside.
Once you learn how to do this, you will probably think it
is one of the coolest snake techniques you know. Once you
get good at it, you can even count how many eggs are
fully developed (of course they could still be duds), and
how many are undersized duds.

The short answer as to how to go about palpating your females
is to allow them to climb through your hands while you rest
your fingers of one hand on their back with your thumb pressing
on their belly [to get a visual, imagine you are holding a
hamburger or sandwich in your hand ]. While they are
crawling through your hand, your thumb will feel the huge lumps
of eggs as they pass by, usually starting a little past their
half way point, then moving towards their vent. With practice,
you will be able to predict, based on egg position, how far
away from laying they are (assuming you didn't notice ovulation
or a shed...which are hard to miss).

Let me know if you have any questions. It's hard to describe in
just a paragraph.

Good luck!
ChrisS - SanJose
usa_reptile2@yahoo.com