Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have a snake that should of laid eggs by now. How can I tell if she is egg bound? Any specific characteristics?

Thanks in advance!

Brian

I've seen it a few times with my bunch. There was an obvious bulge down by the cloaca, where the "stuck" egg had the eggs behind piling up against it. The females were obviously distressed and trying to push, but nothing was happening.

Does your girl show any signs of distress? Has she settled in her laying box yet or is she still hunting round her viv for a place to lay?

What sort of timetable of ovulation/mating have you had, that makes you think eggs are overdue? Bear in mind that the beasties don't read the manuals, so being a week or a fortnight overdue isn't necessarily going to be a crisis.

I mated(put with a male - I didn't see anything) her the first time on March 4th and then about 10 days later. She is just going into a shed know (she just cleared up, so I guess 3-5 days). The two snakes I put with males have already layed eggs. She is really large and she actually looks like she has eggs in her. Do snakes corn snakes lay eggs every year even if they don't mate? Maybe they aren't fertile. I will keep an eye on her. Thanks for your advice!

Brian

As Kathy says below, it sounds unlikely that your girl is eggbound. In fact, the imminent shed is a very good sign. They usually shed first and then lay 5-10 days after that (again they don't read the books - I had one lay while she was still blue once!). I'd say that's where you are in the timetable. Get her laying hide ready because if she's gravid - and it sounds good from what you've said - I reckon you should be seeing eggs in the next couple of weeks.

Seems like your girl's just intent on giving you the run-around! I have the same problem with one of mine at the moment. She's enormous. I swear if she doesn't lay soon she's going to pop, but she hasn't shed yet.

Corns can lay clutches of infertile eggs even if they haven't been with a male. More often they're absorbed before they're laid to save the snake wasting physical resources, but I've definitely had it happen with one of mine.

Cheers
Kel

Those snakes not reading the manuals is a definate. I had one girl I put with the male to breed in JANUARY. I left them together. I expected to have eggs HATCHING this week (approximately).... and she is only NOW getting ready to lay the eggs. She never read the manual and doesn't know she should have had those eggs months ago.

(no, she's not eggbound, she just never became gravid until she felt like it)
-----
~Sasheena

lay at least a couple of eggs before becoming stuck. In all of the years I have been breeding corns, there have only been a couple of times one became eggbound without laying at least an egg or two first. So, although it is possible, it is very unlikely that she is eggbound if you haven't seen even one egg laying around (check carefully). As mentioned in the other post, if she becomes very distended and in obvious distress, you might have to start to worry about her. Be sure she has a great place to lay - they sometimes retain eggs if they don't like the choices available.