Posted by:
CaseyLazik
at Mon Jun 14 17:29:44 2004 [ Email Message ] [ Show All Posts by CaseyLazik ]
That's a lot of eggs! You're obviously doing something right!
I've had the same thoughts about the UV exposure. I think that some calcium supplementation may be helpful but I would be very careful about over doing it.
I used calcium gluconate to as a supplement for a group of female pythons back in the early 90's. I injected a small amount into the food source (thawed rats) for a period of four months. I asked a well know vet if there could be any side effects. He told me that the calcium glucnate was water soluable and the snakes would pass what they didn't need. It was "100% safe".
After a few months, some snakes went into a shedding cycle. Their shed skins were very thick and smelly. A few weeks later, the snakes would shed again. By this time, they had refused food. Then, suddenly, one by one, the snakes that had the calcium supplementation began dying. Only the snakes that were given this supplement died. Once symptoms began appearing, I stopped the treatment and phoned the vet. He attempted to reassure me that it was not the calcium. Half a dozen dead pythons later, I had necropsies performed on two of the dead pythons. Both had heavy mineral deposits in the organs.
With hognose, I do believe a light calcium supplement and UV exposure could be beneficial although I think a few uncalcified eggs out of a large clutch is quite acceptable. That's still a small percentage of non-viable although sometimes fertile eggs. Western hognose snakes include other reptiles eggs as part of their diet and this accompanied with some early morning/late afternoon sun exposure could help a reproducing female shell up those eggs. Just my thoughts.
By the way, I have not used UV light, sun exposure, or calcium with my hognose.
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Calcium as a supplement - CaseyLazik, Mon Jun 14 17:29:44 2004 
