Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have a gravid Rubber Boa that I'm still waiting to drop.
What is the latest in the year that other people have had them drop? Last year my other female gave birth on Aug. 15. Another month and normally I'd start cooling them off for the year.
Thanks,
-Phil

Patton,
Because captive conditions speed up the entire reproductive process, captive bred female Rubber Boas will generally produce litters from late July to near the end of August. Females that are gravid when captured usually produce their litters later than captive bred females. The peak period for parturition (birth) is in the second week of Sept. for females in the wild and gravid female captured well after gestation had commenced.

I believe the latest birth I have recorded for such a female was in early October. The last litters produced this year were Sept. 14, 16, and 18 for three gravid females I captured on June 28th. My captive bred females produced their litters in August.

Richard F. Hoyer

Thanks Richard. My female was bred in captivity. I can actually feel the babies move when I hold her. Should I be worried? I have the thermostat on her rack set at 82-83 and the cool side is at about 72-75. She spends a lot of time in the morning on the warm side. She has eaten regularly until the las two weeks of Sept. and she seems very heathy and has plenty of weight on her. I guess I'll just have to be patient. Wish me luck!
-Phil

Patton,
The date is awfully late for the species to give birth. As to whether or not you should be worried depends on when mating took place and more importantly, when gestation began.
In the wild, the onset of gestation varies but normally takes place from mid May to mid June.

Given about a 100 day gestation period, parturition should then take place between the last week of August through the end of Sept. If for some reason your female did not ovulate and begin gestation until the first of July or thereafter, then one could expect birth to occur around the first week of October, possibly later.

Your temperature set up seems fine and is similar to what I use although I believe my temperatures rise to near 90 on some days. I have a 40 or 60 watt bulb suspended over a shallow metal pan. When it gets too warm, the female boas simply move away to the side of the pan or vacate the pan to a cooler hide in my large cage. I also have the light go on and off in sync. with the normal light / dark cycle during the summer months. Otherwise, just like out in the wild, the heat source varies over the 24 hr. cycle.

If your set up has been on continuously then something is wrong as even with ovulation and onset of gestation taking place in July, the female should have produced her litter by now. If she retains them too long, they will burst through their embryonic sac and suffocate and thus be stillborn. Secondly, depending on the origin of the parents of your female,
taking meals this late in gestation is not the norm for many populations of the species.

Are you absolutely certain you can still feel the young within the female. Your female should be noticeably distended in the lower 1/2 to 2/3rds of her body cavity if she is gravid. If that is not the case and she is still very robust, there is the possibility that she did not conceived during the mating process.

I will now be gone for 4 - 5 days.

Richard F. Hoyer