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Mystery item found in cage.

S

Soccermom3

New member
Tonight I found a strange item in my corn snake's cage. It's oval shaped, about an inch long, part orange and part white. It was firm, but my son squeezed it and it broke open to reveal a gooey orangish substance. We've had this female snake (Daisy) for about a month. Not sure of her age, but she is about 40" long. Anyone have any idea what this could be?
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That is a slug, an infertile egg. I'd recommend offering a roomy wet hide partly filed with damp moss or moistened paper towels. She likely has more to lay. Females will sometimes lay slugs without ever having met a male, so this is normal, especially for her size. Keep an eye out for excessive swelling at her vent that persists for more than a day, which is a possible sign of egg binding. If could take her a few days to lay them all.
 
Huh. Interesting. An infertile egg. I'm going to research this further. Thank you so much! I'll be on the look-out for them in the cage. I guess the reptile shop sexed her correctly!


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Sure that snake has never been with a male? It might not have been a slug if she was paired before. Just sayin'.

Welcome, BTW! How ya been?
 
No, *that* egg is definitely a slug. But she might produce others. A moist hide is definitely in order. Otherwise the lack of appropriate lay space might cause her to become eggbound.
 
Another weird little egg. Several days later. I found this one in her water bowl.


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And if you haven't given her a proper lay box, the water bowl is her next best option.

All the lay box needs to be is a Tupperware or similar that is big enough for her to fit in comfortably with a hole 1.5 to 2 times her diameter cut in the top with some damp paper towels or damp sphagnum moss in it. It will help her pass the slugs. If one gets stuck it is a serious health problem often requiring a vet. A lay box is very cheap insurance indeed.
 
Humid hides can even be rectangular tissue boxes. Everybody saves theirs for me, but I teach, so the supply is strong and steady. I put damp moss in there and replace the container and moss as needed.
 
Hi there soccermom! How ya been?

So at THIS point, please tell me you've provided the MUCH-NEEDED laybox by this time! Your little snakey is trying to tell you something there, apparently. Especially if she laid that slug in her waterbowl!!

It's not Rocket Appliance! Er, . . uh. . It's not . . YOU know what I mean!!

I sincerely hope that your little sneaky one is OK and does not become eggbound! (BTW, did you ever find out if she was paired with another snake?)
 
After the first little weird slug thing, I gave her a plastic food container with damp paper towels. She spent two days in it. Then came out and laid a white slug in her water. I re-damped the paper towels and she is back in the food container. Maybe the paper wasn't wet enough?


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So glad to hear you have the lay box for her. Yeah, it might not have been damp enough. Who knows? As long as you have it for her, she'll decide where she wants to be. But she absolutely needs to have that option. Well done, Soccermom3.
 
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They don't always lay the eggs/slugs in the lay box. I've had them lay some in the lay box, and some outside of it, regardless of fertile or slug.

The only recommendation I would give now is to leave her be as much as possible. They're more apt to become egg bound if stressed.

It is not uncommon for females to lay slugs, without being with a male.
 
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