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Amel_momma

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Hello, I have owned my amel motleys for about a year and a half.


I had not reached out to others until now, facing my first real concern with my "boys." I am beginning to suspect that the owner of the pet store may not have actually sexed them. I am worried that one of my "boys" might be pregnant. The swelling is right as far as any images I have studied. The bedding in one side of their tank has been pushed into a tall pile. My Brutus, who was extremely active and constantly exploring seems to have become rather lazy. Has little spurts of energy instead, and I have no idea what his/her name will become if I am correct.

Sorry the quality of the pic is awful, but they are almost always this inseparable.

bc60ece5f1cd5676877bfd001ece1142.jpg
 
Welcome to the forums!!
You might consider posting this in the breeding/egg production forum..
But I would suggest each snake get their own housing right away. Keeping them together like that is NOT a good idea. ( go read the 'stickies' at the top of the forums about care and housing)

If that is a recent picture of them, and she is only 18 or so months old then she looks too small to be safely producing eggs. If she is indeed gravid (pregnant) this may seriously hurt or kill her. Do you have a vet that specilizes in reptiles that you can take her to?
 
Hello and welcome!

This is actually one of the main reasons keeping corns together is not recommended and especially by people new to snakes, which unfortunately is the ones who usually do it, generally because the pet stores tell them it is fine to do. Here is an article on some of the cons to keeping snakes together.

http://squamishserpents.ca/care-info/can-i-keep-multiple-snakes-in-one-enclosure

Here is a good thread on setting up a lay box, which you are going to want to do pretty fast.
http://www.cornsnakes.com/forums/showthread.php?t=111148

The main danger to a female this young breeding, is the possibility that she will have trouble laying her eggs and become egg bound, which can be deadly and not all vets that say they accept reptiles actually know how to help with this. But making sure she has an attractive place to lay them if she is indeed gravid will go a long way to making sure she doesn't hold onto them too long.

Here is also part of a thread where a larger breeder's snake became egg bound and how he dealt with it, just in case. If that were to happen, fingers crossed it won't, there are a number of breeders on here that can walk you through what to do.

http://www.cornsnakes.com/forums/showthread.php?t=130119&highlight=eggbound&page=5
 
Thank you so much, had I known ahead of time or even thought that the shop owner could have been wrong about the sex, I definitely would have kept them separate. I'm not in a great place financially at the moment, luckily it will be resolved very soon but I actually have many of my friends hunting for another tank for me now. I just had a friend get ahold of me today about a 100 gallon tank that her brother is getting rid of. Because of some space conflicts, I think I'm going to try to set up a divider so that I won't have to find a place to put a second tank
 
Tavia gives great info. I would read all the links she posted.

Many owners get the big plastic bins from Sterlite, just make sure to make airholes in them (many people use a soldering gun to melt the plastic) and you would just need to get one more UTH and thermostat for it, it is a great alternative to a huge tank that might not be easily divided (they are little Houdinis, they will find a way to escape to anywhere you don't want them to be!) and takes up less room.

Do you have a friend or relative who could take over the care of at least one of them? If you are not in a good place financially and one is pregnant and is too small to lay her eggs, the vet bills could be impossible for you.

Corns are really easy to care for, but like any pet it isn't an "if" they need vet care, it is "when" they need vet care. If you have a fund set aside for the care of your snakes it will be one less thing to worry about when they need your help. If someone can take over some of that burden I think it might make your life easier.

I do "rescues" often, people who get in your position where finances are scarce, so don't be afraid or embarrassed to ask for help. And I also recommend reading all the "stickies" on each topic here and as many threads as possible. Also there are great books on corn snakes, two of the best having been written by members of this forum, Kathy Love and Don Soderberg. Look them up on Amazon or online, and you will learn so much.

Best of luck, and let us know what happens. We are here for you in any way we can be.
 
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