hypnoctopus
Olivia Barron
A little background on this girl: I picked her up from a local person around the end of July. I noticed she was quite fat (800 grams when I weighed her) and has some fatty deposits by her cloaca, 'hips'. I handled her briefly upon pickup - she seemed calm and easy to handle. Previous owner said that she was eating medium rats about once every 10 to 14 days. He said that she ate on June 13th, June 23rd, July 6th, and July 20th. He said she had been bred in the past, but not by him and not this year.
She shed on July 29th, the day after I brought her home. After she shed, I took her out to look her over and noticed that she felt like she might be gravid. At the time, I thought that I could feel two distinct lumps in her lower abdomen. I made up a lay box for her with damp sphagnum moss and she went right in. Now we're coming up on about 3 weeks since I noticed her lumps, with nothing else happening.
I waited a week after I got her to offer her food. She ate one medium adult mouse. I was planning on feeding her every 14 days or so since she is quite chubby, so I offered her a large adult mouse a few days ago. She looked sort of interested in it, but in the end, didn't seem to want it.
Her behavior is unlike other adult corns I've owned and handled. She's not aggressive or defensive, but she is very intent to get away from me. She does not cling to me or wrap around me at all. She seems like she would be fine with falling onto the floor if I let her. If you've ever handled a legless lizard, that's what it feels like to handle her. It's hard to even take a picture of her because she won't coil up; she always immediately tries to leave. In the lay box, she doesn't act like a snake about to lay eggs (at least in my limited experience). She just sits on top of the moss, does not burrow and does not have that faraway stare that they sometimes get before laying. In her enclosure, she spends 99% of her time in her lay box, which I keep moist for her. I've only seen her out of it twice the entire time I've had her - once because she was going to shed and once because she needed to expel some urates. She has not pooped for me yet at all. She had one big pile of crumbly urates several days ago.
Today I decided to give her a little bath to see if it would help anything get moving. She expelled a small amount of urates, but no poop. Before putting her back, I palpated her again. This time, I think that I can feel three-ish lumps. One is small and higher up in her body. The others are like one continuous bumpy lump and lower down on her body. The red lines indicate approximately where I can feel them.
I've called an exotics vet to see what their prices are for an exam and x rays, just waiting on them to get back to me, but in the mean time, what do you think is going on with her?
She shed on July 29th, the day after I brought her home. After she shed, I took her out to look her over and noticed that she felt like she might be gravid. At the time, I thought that I could feel two distinct lumps in her lower abdomen. I made up a lay box for her with damp sphagnum moss and she went right in. Now we're coming up on about 3 weeks since I noticed her lumps, with nothing else happening.
I waited a week after I got her to offer her food. She ate one medium adult mouse. I was planning on feeding her every 14 days or so since she is quite chubby, so I offered her a large adult mouse a few days ago. She looked sort of interested in it, but in the end, didn't seem to want it.
Her behavior is unlike other adult corns I've owned and handled. She's not aggressive or defensive, but she is very intent to get away from me. She does not cling to me or wrap around me at all. She seems like she would be fine with falling onto the floor if I let her. If you've ever handled a legless lizard, that's what it feels like to handle her. It's hard to even take a picture of her because she won't coil up; she always immediately tries to leave. In the lay box, she doesn't act like a snake about to lay eggs (at least in my limited experience). She just sits on top of the moss, does not burrow and does not have that faraway stare that they sometimes get before laying. In her enclosure, she spends 99% of her time in her lay box, which I keep moist for her. I've only seen her out of it twice the entire time I've had her - once because she was going to shed and once because she needed to expel some urates. She has not pooped for me yet at all. She had one big pile of crumbly urates several days ago.
Today I decided to give her a little bath to see if it would help anything get moving. She expelled a small amount of urates, but no poop. Before putting her back, I palpated her again. This time, I think that I can feel three-ish lumps. One is small and higher up in her body. The others are like one continuous bumpy lump and lower down on her body. The red lines indicate approximately where I can feel them.
I've called an exotics vet to see what their prices are for an exam and x rays, just waiting on them to get back to me, but in the mean time, what do you think is going on with her?