Strange behavior in female.

[jennrosefx]

So, my female corn, Pumpkin, has always been a pig. She's a big fan of eating, and has NEVER refused a meal.

She's currently around 300 grams, just shed last week, and has been SUPER SUPER active the past 5 days or so. I assumed, like always, that she was hungry.

I took her out today, and she completely ignored the mouse, and kept zooming towards Worm's tank (my male leucy ratsnake...who is just reaching a year old).

I can't figure her out. She's never been brumated, nor have any other steps been taken to ready her for breeding, as she is stricktly a pet. I have heard of male snakes refusing food when in breeding mode....do female snakes ever do the same? I always thought it was more the males who actively sought out breeding.

It is possible that she smells a male ratsnake and wants to breed? Or, am I just making assumptions? Is that even a possiblity...aren't they too young for that sort of behaivior?

And, for the record, I will shortly be moving her tank into anouther room seperate from my male snake...and don't worry...I have no intentions of creating little hybrid corn/leucy hellspawns. I'm just curious why my snake who is acting very hungry is turning down food.

 

[Silvergrin]

Hmm, odd. Whenever I had a piggy female stop eating and become very active, it's been because she's pregnant! The girls I don't breed sometimes get a bit finicky about food, but I've not noticed heightened activity with it.

I don't know if corns do it, but I heard a case where a rattler underwent parthenogenisis (?) and produce eggs that were clones of the mom. It's really rare. Maybe put an egg box in with her just in case? Probably not pregnant but at the worst she'll enjoy exploring it.

 

[dionythicus]

:-offtopic I think corn/leucy hybrids look great.

 

[mbdorfer]

I don't know if corns do it, but I heard a case where a rattler underwent parthenogenisis (?) and produce eggs that were clones of the mom. It's really rare.

I'd say so considering rattlers give live birth :eek1:

 

[Silvergrin]

Ah, right! I was trying to remember which way it was XD Well not eggs then, but the rest is true

 

[vanderkm]

Even if your female has not been exposed to a male, it is possible for virgin corns to produce eggs - they will be infertile (called slugs) and somewhat yellow in appearance. Your female is large enough, and some exposure to male pheromones in the air may be enough to stimilate ovulation and egg production.

Her behaviour is quite suggestive that she is seeking a place to lay eggs. I suggest you provide her with a lay box (dark rubbermaid filled with damp moss) just in case. They will drop eggs around the cage if they have no alternative, but giving them a lay box reduces the chance that they will have problems with egg binding. When was her last shed? She will likely want to begin laying within 10 days of that if she is carrying infertile eggs.

Could be that she is just acting a bit weird, or that you have a male (sexing errors are common) but doesn't hurt to be prepared just in case,


mary v.

 

[carol]

I've had females freak out during breeding season, not eating and cruising the tank. More often than not, they stop feeding because they are going to lay slugs/eggs but sometimes it is just to search for a male. I've even had to breed some females that I thought were too small because I thought their frantic searching would do more harm to them than breeding.
They really don't care if they are brumated, or if they are pet. They do what they do and often don't read the manual.

 

[jennrosefx]

Even if your female has not been exposed to a male, it is possible for virgin corns to produce eggs - they will be infertile (called slugs) and somewhat yellow in appearance. Your female is large enough, and some exposure to male pheromones in the air may be enough to stimilate ovulation and egg production.

Her behaviour is quite suggestive that she is seeking a place to lay eggs. I suggest you provide her with a lay box (dark rubbermaid filled with damp moss) just in case. They will drop eggs around the cage if they have no alternative, but giving them a lay box reduces the chance that they will have problems with egg binding. When was her last shed? She will likely want to begin laying within 10 days of that if she is carrying infertile eggs.

Could be that she is just acting a bit weird, or that you have a male (sexing errors are common) but doesn't hurt to be prepared just in case,


mary v.

I did have her probed...allthough, she put up a bit of a fight...heh. But Meg was almost possitive she was female. Anyways, I went ahead and made her a lay box (which she started exploring the second I placed it in there...heheh...but she's like that with everything).

Today is actually exactly 10 days since she last shed...so, I dunno. It's probably nothing. She's probably just being a spaz. But, I guess I'll leave the lay box in there for a few days and see what happens.

 

[jennrosefx]

I've had females freak out during breeding season, not eating and cruising the tank. More often than not, they stop feeding because they are going to lay slugs/eggs but sometimes it is just to search for a male. I've even had to breed some females that I thought were too small because I thought their frantic searching would do more harm to them than breeding.
They really don't care if they are brumated, or if they are pet. They do what they do and often don't read the manual.

Well, she's not acting too frantic....her exploring hasn't been any different really than her exploring when she is hungry. So, it's probably nothing...just me being paranoid.

Of course, the whole thing has now put thoughts in my head of reading up on breeding and maybe setting up an arranged marriage with one of my pal's male corns next season...

 

[jennrosefx]

Well...almost anouther week has gone by since her last refused meal...and again, she wanted nothing to do with her food. She's been a touch more active than usual lately...not frantic or anything harmful...just CONSTANTLY exploring. Her belly is flat as can be, so I don't know if it's ovulation. I did give her a lay box just incase she was carrying slugs...but haven't seen a thing. She's having a blast exploring it off and on...but that seems to be the extent of it. Hmmmmmmmmmm....it's only been three weeks since her last meal, and she's quite a healthy (if not the slightest touch chunky) snake, so I really shouldn't be too worried yet. It's just odd. Nothing has changed for her, as far as temps and environment go. Who knows...

Oh, and my BALL PYTHON gladly ate the meal that my CORNSNAKE rejected. Yes, I live in Bizzaro world!!!

 

[carol]

Is that a recent pic of her that you posted in the "other" forum? If so, I'd say she looks like she is ovulating. If she is not being too destructive searching, I'd say just let it run it's course. A snake that size could go 3 months without eating before you would have to worry.

 

[jennrosefx]

Is that a recent pic of her that you posted in the "other" forum? If so, I'd say she looks like she is ovulating. If she is not being too destructive searching, I'd say just let it run it's course. A snake that size could go 3 months without eating before you would have to worry.

Ahahahaha. That took me a second to get. I'm slow today.

Yes, that pic was taken the last time she fed...three weeks ago. She had also just eaten in that pic, so she had a belly full of mouse. Heh.

And yeah, I know she's pretty "healthy"...lol...so I know she can go sometime without eating. Her activity hasn't been really destructive, allthough she did start in on the screen rubbing for quite sometime last night which concerns me...I don't want to see her rub her nose raw! But, we'll see if that ends up being a continued thing.