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Feeding gravid female and a few other questions

ashleynicole

ashleynicole

New member
I didn't get a reponse on my old thread and I still need all the support I can get with my first breeding adventure.... so here are some pics of my female sunglow motley and I think she looks gravid but I'm not sure. It has been 3 weeks and 4 days since her first mating with my male snow motley. Over two weeks they mated 6 times total and she never refused. She has a nice lay box all set up and a small water dish (large one removed). She was last fed a week ago and it was a nice big meal. She has since had two good stools and I'm not sure if should offer her food or not at this point. I fed her every 5 days for the past 5 feedings and previously she has been on a 7 day feeding schedule. My husband thinks she was blue when he checked on her friday and she does look pretty dull right now but she has always eaten in the blue so im not concerned about that but I didnt know if there are any contraindications to feeding this close to the prelay shed or even after the prelay shed?


So two questions. One does she look gravid for sure and when can I expect eggs, and two should I offer her food?

Here are pictures just taken yesterday. Thank you!
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Why are you feeding an adult female so often? If she's underweight and you're trying to add weight, I would not be breeding her.
If she gains too much weight, that can cause problems with trying to lay eggs.
I would only offer more frequent (than every 7 days) to a female that is recovering from eggs, and needs to put weight back on.

I personally would not offer food, while in shed, especially if you suspect she might be gravid.

If I offer food to a suspected gravid female, it's a smaller meal than normal.
 
I feed breeding females at about a six day interval, around their breeding schedule, if they need to gain weight, and 12 days if they do not. After they are done breeding, I feed every seven days until the female goes blue. I do not feed at all, then, until the eggs are laid.

You might be able to palpate the eggs if you set her on the floor and let her crawl through your fingers, and press your thumb down on her back, and feel with your second and third fingers. The snake has to be relaxed for this to work. Start as high up as her stomach, and just let her run through your fingers, slowly.
 
Oh and now is the time to remove her water bowl and replace it with a small one she can't get into, and give her a lay box. I see you've done that- good!
 
I feed them up before breeding, if needed.

I have heard holding them in a silk cloth helps too.
Some of mine, I just could not feel the eggs.
 
Thank you everyone. She did not need to gain weight, no I just wanted to make sure she was well nourished. In the future in will do 6-12 days like nancy proposed. I will also wait at this point to feed her after she lays eggs which I am guessing could be any day now. She is actually in her lay box right now.

I've tried to palpate eggs and I thought I felt something I am just not sure!

Oh I am so excited!

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Does the lay box have a lid, with a hole cut for a door?? And I'd fill it up with moss. She wants to be able to bury herself. When she wants to lay, she will clear a spot on the floor of the lay box. She wants you to not be able to see her.

So she'll shed, and then lay about 7-14 days after shedding, on average. If she's in and out of the box, or peeking out, or her tail is sticking out- she's not ready to lay. If she hasn't been out, and she's on the bottom of the bin, with a dazed look- she's nearly ready. I generally check twice a day by lifting the box and looking through the bottom for eggs. If you see her peeking out, don't bother.
 
She's been in the box for two days not coming out. Yes it has a lid with a hole, I will post a pic when I get home and I will fill it up with moss.

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I don't have a ton of experience with breeding (this is my first year trying it), but when my female became gravid, her body looked somewhat triangular and fat in shape, like you could sort of see her spine, but you could tell she looked fatter. I could also feel eggs when she slithered through my fingers (I put her in a very thin old pillow case to feel for eggs). That being said, yours does look like mine did while she was gravid.
 
Checked her viv today and here is a picture of her hunkered down. Is this enough moss in the lay box? Is the lay box big enough? The heating pad is half under the lay box and half under the other hide.
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Alright well she has the entrance blocked up with moss and is coiled in the back of the box, when I opened the lid to check on her today she hissed at me! but she barely moves, And she is usually one of the most laid back snakes I have. I am hoping this means she is getting close? I really want her to lay before we go to the beach next weekend. We will only be gone for two full days but still.... any problem if she lays and the eggs are left with her a day or two?

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If anyone is still following I need to know asap if I should take her with me to the beach or if its ok to leave her? We are staying 3 nights leaving Saturday and coming back Tuesday and the following weekend again so it would be totally doable for me to take a sweaterbox enclosure and lay box and uth with us and keep it at the condo. I don't want to lose the eggs!

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I feel like the stress of moving her would be worse than just leaving her home. Just make sure that the moss in her box is thoroughly damp, so the eggs don't dry out while you're gone.
 
And cover her viv, she wants to be in the dark where you aren't looking at her or lifting the lid all the time. Give her a few days of total alone time before you check on her again.
 
There are some great sections in the books on corn snake care about breeding. Kathy Love and Don Soderberg have great books you should read about breeding corns, this will help you be better prepared.
 
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