Reptile & Amphibian Forums

OK everybody, you tell me does she look gravid?

oops!!!!

another pic.

And a third.

I have looked at the pictures a few times and since I really wasn't sure I didn't want to say anything. Since she is laying on top of her mate in the pictures it is particularly difficult to see what is going on... it creates an artificial bulge. Just a guess here but I'm going with "not pregnant". I look for a couple things once I get into Feb/March to figure out if I have a gravid female or not but the more noticable stuff for me it overall thickening while the female consistantly refuses food. I have had females that will eat for some of that period but most often times they are off feed into that third month after my best guess of an ovulation. I'm probably going to make a trip tommorrow to check on the boas and I have one female that is due towards the end of the month... she's about a six footer and it is somewhat obvious that she has a litter on the way... so I'll take a picture. I do have another female that is a lot larger(in the 8 foot range) that I know ovulated, she went off food but doesn't show as much thickening as she usually does, probably due to the fact she had a litter last year and I expect a small showing... I'll see if she wants to play "take a picture" but I doubt that is going to happen. Here is an older shot of the above mentioned female during pregnancy.

Matt Schubarth
517 East Main #1
Missoula, Montana 59802

THanks Biophiliacs for the response and the pics. I will post more pics of her. I have seperated the male to his own enclosure. I have just noticed a significant weight gain without much food consumption. This is a pic of her back in December.

She is about 6 ft long and this is her first year breeding. Here is a pic of her by herself without the male.

I forgot to bring over my camera the other week but I did get a chance to feel up two of the three gravid females I have. One thing I did notice with the two that are six feet is that I could actually feel the individual ova as I let the girls slither away from me. I know from experience that the babies can be quite large at birth but I have never really had the opportunity to count babies before they are born... kind of concerned that both sets could be carrying inferile ova(slugs) since I can actually count them. But I should know with the first female bred to my granite looking male towards the end of the month and with the 2nd female bred to my red phase male in another 20ish days.

In looking at the new pictures you took I do think she is pretty thick but most dumerils are... watch for the pre-lay and just go from there. I do have one female that sheds half way through her gestation but all of my girls have the the pre-lay shed 20ish days before birth.

Later-
Matt Schubarth

Well, something weird is going on with her. 2 days ago she started bulging at her vent, then the bulge just moved back forward again. Do they have contractions like mammals? I am so confused. She might not be prego at all. If not, when should I start pairing her with my male again? I have in seperated from her now. Thanks for all of your help. Reesy

Hey Reesy, Thanks for posting pictures.When I visit the Dumerils forum I swear I hear a slight wind and tumble weeds rolling by.If she is gravid,you may want to invest in another cage.Pathigdon (in one of his posts here) writes about his male killing his pregnant female for no apparent reason-other than being housed together. thanx again-jenni/