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Actually I'm not even sure she is gravid. She was introduced 6 weeks ago on a 3 day with, 1 day without schedule, and a week ago I removed the male completely. He DEFINATELY chased her, but I never saw actual copulation. She's blue now... would love opinions on whether anyone thinks she's gravid, or if I missed the boat on her this year.

Thanks for opinions.

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~Sasheena

would love opinions on whether anyone thinks she's gravid, or if I missed the boat on her this year.

sasheena,

if she's in her prelay shed eggs should be developed enough that you could feel them, probably count them, as she crawls thru your hand and you press your thumb gently into the center of her belly. One thing that helps make this work is to have her calmly crawling out of your hand--i hold the snake, open its tray in the rack system just a little, so there's a dark recess, put it where it can see that "safe" area, and begins crawling into it--as it exits your hand yhou should be able to feel the eggs if they're there...by prelay shed time they'll be spread out along the back half or third of the snake, leading up to the cloaca, but of course not all the way there probably, until closer to lay time. (note to newbies: a snake in prelay shed may be two weeks from egg deposition--four to six days to shed, another five to ten days to lay after the shed).

terry

I just "felt her up" to see if I could sense any eggs.... NADA...

SO... my question is... since I still have the loaner male, should I feed her once she sheds and then put the male back with her, or is it really REALLY unlikely that I could acheive anything with that and should I just give it up for this year?

Just curious...

Thanks for opinions.

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~Sasheena

>>I just "felt her up" to see if I could sense any eggs.... NADA...
>>
>>SO... my question is... since I still have the loaner male, should I feed her once she sheds and then put the male back with her, or is it really REALLY unlikely that I could acheive anything with that and should I just give it up for this year?

yeah, i think you should try again, and no, i don't think the chances are good.

td

Thanks for the honesty! I REALLY appreciate it.

I'll give it a shot, and then if nothing, well, that's okay. Perhaps next year I'll have a pyro male of my own to breed to her when she first comes out of brumation instead of waiting for the loan of a male at some point in the middle of the season.

It's okay though, she's still quite beautiful, and I'm glad to have her, even if I never get the chance to breed her!
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~Sasheena