I have palpated thousands and never harmed or upset one to the point of aborting the eggs.

It's so easy calmly hold her and aim her back to her cage, as she crawls back, allow her to crawl between your thumb and and the middle joint of your index finger. Make the distance about a 1/4 less then the relaxed height of her body. As if she is crawling in a crack or hole, which they naturally do. As she does that, You can feel whats inside her, not organs and such, but large items like food bolus, ovum, and such.

Once a female is fairly far along, all you have to do is gently lift her mid body, As you lift her, if shes gravid, she will curl the last third of her body.
In the field, we palpate for much more the reproductive condition.
Some people use a smooth cloth like a silk hanky. The friend I mentioned used a red silk hanky.
Some species are more difficult then others, Kings are a easy species. Good luck learning and with your animal

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