Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I noticed below that when your boas go over 105 days POS that it is possible the boas just have not read the book or watched the videos.

So .. I have the books and the videos but I guess I need them translated so my boas can understand them. In all of my books, videos and papers it says that Boas usually go 105 days after POS - well my girl is on 111 and I do not even think she has started the waxy stool yet. She is an entire chapter behind!! I should be waiting on the first shed from the babies by now.

Anyway... I have purchasd all of my animals as CB here in the good ole USA so I guess Boa English should be fine.

Please let me know what you come up with.

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Thanks
Shawn Morelan
www.SouthernBoids.com
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Signature file edited; [phw 9/26/04]

Here's what I've seen.

If you have one of the more commonly-produced lines of common redtails (BCI) of Colombian and Central American (or ColombianXCentral American) origin and are maintaining the gravid female at near constant temperatures in the range most-frequently used you will see birth at 101-110 days (105 average) POS in a strong majority of cases, but not all.

In colonies of other Boa c. ssp and even in some insular imperator these rules are less constant, especially if you allow a sharper temperature gradient and a day-night thermal cline during incubation (gestation), which is the practice here.

Here we've gotten good litters without complication in as little as 97 days POS (in Caulker Cay BCI), 129 days POS (Tarahumara BCI), 157 days (B.C. occidentalis) and had Amazonian Peru redtails go over 250 days from last intromission (breeding) to delivery of a perfect litter.

In addition, mothers here may shed once, twice, three times and in at least two instances not at all between breeding, ovulation and birth.

If I had to make any conclusion from these varied observations they would be... a temperature gradient is a must and a day-night drop is very advantageous in many groups. And, within reasonable limits (involving normal litters), the longer the mother holds the young the much more likely you are to see the very best, healthy and vigorous babies that punch right out of their birth-sacs and go meet the world.

Good luck with your projects.

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Gus
A. Rentfro
RioBravoReptiles.com
www.riobravoreptiles.com

"Quality is not an accident. Perfectly healthy animals are a minimum requirement.. everything else is just salesmanship" gus

in fact, I have done what you mentioned this year, regarding my 2 (so far) gravid females. I have lowered the ambient temps at night just a tad with the belly heat temps staying the same. I don't know if it's made a difference for mine, but as you pointed out in your post, they are the Colombian variety. It seems like my first girl due this year is going over, just like my others did in 03 & 04. So far my "few rat research" has been consistently a week days over the 105 mark. I won't complain though. I much prefer "well done" babies over preemies, as we all do

BTW....What a great pic of those little ones taking their first breaths!! A wonderful sight, indeed!
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Linda Hedgpeth
lindafh@frontiernet.net
Sierra Serpents

"There is just as much horse sense as ever, but the horses have most of it".

.. I'm sure you're going to do what's best with your animals.

Later, Gus

I am in no way an expert, but I would say go by ovulation dates and add 120-125 days. I find in my experience, this is much more accurate that post ovulation shed dates. I think Jeff Ronne even said before that females are usually more likely triggered to deliver around 120 after ovulation than they are a certain amount of days after POS, But the POS is good to go by if you miss the ovulation.

I'm certainly in the "no expert" group as well. In fact, I'm Vice-President of the "still tryin' to figure this out" group. If I figure Jessica's due date from her ovulation....she was due 4/7...ack! Which puts her even more overdue...haha!

My first litter in 03 made me crazy with anticipation. I burned sick days and holiday days at work, hoping each night would be THE NIGHT. Then, true to form, Murphy's Law kicked in and Ms Muir delivered on one of my regular nights off I was rewarded with getting to watch the entire process with my Mom. It was a real treat for her and I'm glad she got to see it. We giggled and squealed like a couple of kids each time the next baby came out.

Now, I don't know if I'm doing everything right. I'm doing all that *I* know to do, then I have to hope for the best. Years of working with broodmares taught me that Mother Nature goes at her own pace and I better just relax - already! A mare will wait you out cause she knows eventually you'll have to go potty, go get a snack, etc., and that's when it will happen. Stall mounted video cameras are wonderful things.

This year, my one-rat "Jessica" is doing some different things than I've seen in my other girls. Except for me seeing her ovulation and her religiously thermo-regulating, she hasn't done some of the other things we talk about gravid boas doing. The people who say, "the boas haven't read the books" are sooo right, in a humerous way. It's such a reminder to me, of how we humans want to control things. Our frustration level goes up when we find things we can't control

As worrisome as baby time can be, the anticipation and the new baby's arrival is so much fun. I spend a lot of time wondering what they will look like, how many there will be and hoping they will be healthy.

Best wishes to everyone on this season!! I love seeing pics of the new litters!
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Linda Hedgpeth
lindafh@frontiernet.net
Sierra Serpents

"There is just as much horse sense as ever, but the horses have most of it".