Shes more than likely gravid...

[Tula_Montage]

I have been questioning whether my 05 lavender Lacey was gravid for a few weeks, now I think she definitely is.

She was housed with my hypo het anery lavender (intentionally) for about 3 weeks. He was taken out on the 29th of July and although I never saw them mating, I found some suspicious "urates" in the substrate. She shed (possibly pre lay) on the 9th of this month and has gained 94 grams since the 29th of July despite only eating 5 adult mice in that time.

For the last few weeks she has been extremely bloated, therefore I cut her food right down. But last night whilst cleaning her box I ran my hand under her belly and felt lots of bumps. She is noticeably swollen in the last 2/3rds of her body. I put in a lay box last night and shes really taken to it.

Who knows, maybe I am completely imagining things, but the weight gain and shed/mating dates sounds about right to me. I won't feed her for 10 days. I think if she hasn't laid by the 24th, she isn't going to and I need my head checked out LOL

Pictures taken with my new Nikon D40. Its the first batch of pictures taken on it so they are pretty average. Its quite hard adjusting to a new camera after working for so long with the one I had.

 

[Corny Noob]

Well I don't know about from the last two pictures (obviously I don't quite have the eye for these things)
But the first picture she REALLY looks gravid, looks kinda bumpy and reaaaly big.

 

[Tula_Montage]

She does look huge. Ill have to try and get one of her stretched out as she just swells from about a thrid down. Her belly is flat and muscly up until her stomach then it just gets round

The weight gain is the big thing I think. I have been feeding her every 10 days on one small adult.

 

[tom e]

Looks like her spine might be sticking out in the second to last pic too! I'd say you're probably right.. :cheers:

 

[Tula_Montage]

She is rather triangular

I hoped she wasn't gravid so late in the year. I really didn't want to breed her this year, but I shoved in a young male just to test the water, neither were brumated.

If she lays, she will just be brumated much later in the year... late december. I still want to breed her to my hypo lavender next spring.

 

[diamondlil]

How did I miss this!

 

[Tula_Montage]

You didn't miss much!

There was nada. She curled in that lay box for weeks. I DEFFINATLEY felt the lumps, but I took the box out and searched everywere, not even a hint of a slug.

Shes still very large in the lowerhalf although shes in brumation right now. She was completely empty going in so it wasn't food. I couldn't feel the lumps after a few weeks though.

Very very strange.

 

[diamondlil]

I don't know if you knew Pearl laid these so you could still find slugs in there one day! (they were hidden in the substrate and dried out by the time I found them)

 

[Tula_Montage]

I checked everywhere, but it would be hard for her to hide anything like that because shes on newspaper LOL. Perhaps it was a phantom pregnancy, or perhaps I just have pippy fever?

 

[Blue Apple Herps]

I suppose she could have reabsorbed the eggs? :shrugs: She definately has the gravid look to her in those first couple of pics.

 

[Tula_Montage]

Who knows, shes sleeping now so It doesnt matter. I'll get eggs out of her properly this season

 

[Spartan66]

That is one SWEET looking Lav!!

 

[SnakeAround]

Mmm.... I had 2 lady's goign through the sames and both turned out to be ill... lost 1 of them... just wanted to mention... they did not eat anymore though, yours did right?

 

[Tula_Montage]

Yeah she eats like a horse. Theres nothing wrong with her physically that I can see, she eats fine and her poop is normal. Shes active and generally just fine.

I won't see her for almost 2 months now though.... wahhhhh!