Two months ago our Red Sided Ginger mated with our new colorless red sided, Nutmeg (Scott if you are out there this is your snake). Tonight I found slugs in the cage and watched her express (I don't know the right terminology) a few more. I think she is done but I can't be sure.
I have a lot of questions now.
Should I feed her right away or give her a day or two?
I assume being gravid this often is not healthy for her and I will separate her from the male. After what period of time would it be safe to put them together? A year? More? Less?
How can I tell she has delivered (?) all of them and is she in any danger?
Why did this happen? Ginger's reproductive history is a bit of a mystery. We got her from a pet store about a year ago and put her in the same tank as a juvenile Western Ribbon and a Checkered Garter. We had no idea how easily garters mate or what sex of snake we had and we certainly did not brumate them. In February she and the Checkered guy mated. Two months later she delivered 3 babies, 2 of whom survived (and are about 22 inches long and thriving). We were told that the babies looked very much like red sided babies, (they are much more orange than Ginger), and that she must have had retained sperm. SO I am wondering if she now developed slugs from the Checkered's sperm or was something else wrong. I know it was too soon to get pregnant again so did this cause the slugs? Was the cage too hot, too cold?
Any thoughts or suggestions as to how to keep everybody as healthy as can be would be appreciated. We had many people who wanted her babies but I want to keep her healthy.
Thanks,
Joanna
