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Old 06-26-2019, 04:24 AM   #1
mcrowland
Baroque'ken Heart egg drama

My 2016 Salmon Snow Produced by Catherine Turley from SMR Coral lines via Mysticexotics was bred 4/2/19 to my 2016 Coral Ghost (out of Knight - 2013 JMG Coral Ghost x Summer - 2013 Strawberry hypo het coral ghost motley phet lavender)

The pairing went off well. They hooked up almost immediately and I kept them together overnight. They did hook up a second time. (got vid and pics).

The male went back to his bachelor digs and the female stayed in her Princess Suite. She was eating well but I didn't see any signs that she was gravid.

By the middle of the next month (more than 45 days after breeding) I thought I hit Rich Z's Murphy's Law of Breeding and wasn't going to get eggs.
I didn't pair them again writing it off as a learning experience until I noticed - beginning of June - she was getting egg-heavy.

Mid-June, I saw her vent was swollen. I thought she might have an egg stuck, so it was off to the vet, who recommended waiting.

Realizing that my herp knowledge is seriously lacking, I took her advice. Three days later she shed.

Thinking that must be her pre-lay shed I thought we were back on track even thought the breeding was more than 60 days prior.

A couple of weeks later she had been moving about, in and out of her lay box.
Her vent had stayed swollen (inflamed and it looked irritated) the whole time and I saw that she had not completely shed, so I moved her through a damp hand towel to loosen the remaining skin. It came off easily and I put her back, hoping she would lay soon.

A couple days later, still hugely gravid she was back in her usual spot. I thought to check the moss in her lay box to see if it had dried and perhaps re-dampen it. I found two eggs! Got them out and in the incubator (I'm hopeful that I got to them in time but I'm not sure)

After a couple more days of inactivity, she stayed in her hide and no more eggs, I called the vet again. Again she recommended waiting.
She didn't seem to be in distress and pleading my woeful ignorance, I took her advice and waited.

It's been almost a week since the two eggs and now I've moved her into smaller housing to better monitor her activity. She settled in her new quarters and I saw movement, from her, which leads me to believe she wants to lay but still nothing.

I think it time to go back to the vet. I don't want to jump the gun and make things more stressful for my snake when nature "should" run its course but I've never had a snake that looks so packed with eggs.
She refused a mouse just before I found the eggs and she is keeping hydrated. I watched her drink after I moved her.

I tried to view the vid on how to aspirate but its not there any more and I think that is outside my comfort zone and abilities.

The timeline I expected is all thrown off. How much longer should I wait? What should I look for to determine "distress"? She isn't thrashing about.

Any suggestions? I don't want to lose her.