Sorry, but I have to ask - ovulation

[Genetics]

I've promised myself that I wouldn't start a thread about this, and was assuming I wouldn't have to either... Well, I was wrong. I've read quite a bit about breeding balls for the last 1,5-2 years, but when it comes to where I am experience things myself it isn't as easy as I thought.

In my opinion there is pretty poor information about the actual ovulation process, and that's why I have to ask. Yes, I've read about building follicles and so on, and I've understand that the ovuluation is happening in about 24 hours - the female become big as she's eaten a too big meal and if you see it you cannot mistaken it and so on, but I have some question about this process after all.

I have a female who stopped eating for 4ish weeks ago, she shed on 01/22/12, she become brighter in my eyes, especially in her neck area, the pattern got very blushed out than usual. But here's what I confused about.. On thursday she become bigger from half her body and down.. Wednesday she got bigger.. And on thursday she was even bigger. And on friday she was at her normal size again. So... Could it be ovy? It's not that long since her shed, and it was not what I am expecting an ovulation to be, based on all those pictures I've seen. Do they get bigger the days before until the actually ovulation finds place?

It wasn't air, and it wasn't poop... Well, she had pooped a tiny bit of this white stuff (sorry, don't remember what its called right now) on friday, but that cannot be why she was that big, and I've seen snakes who's been full of poop and it wasn't enough.. I'm exited to see if she goes into shed about 2-3 weeks but as an first timer breeding balls I'm very excited and want some inputs on this right away.. I've waited a few days because I want to be patiance, but this was quite weird so I had to ask..

Here a pic of the female at her biggest, on thursday


Som inputs please?

[ironpython]

Pretty snake. I'm no expert either but from what I've seen the ovulation is more pronounced in a smaller area. But my girls are swelling like yours.

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[Genetics]

Yea, it's what I have understand too, but it's weird she swelled like this and suddenly became her regular size again, can't help becoming curios

[ironpython]

I swear mine did the same thing. I was all excited thinking OK any day now I'll find an ovy it was like text book building signs then it was like everything just went to normal except they are fat and mine never went off feed one girl refused once but then ate the next day. But aside from a more pissy attitude and being fat they're pretty much normal. I was thinking damn they must have absorbed the follicles.

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[ironpython]

I resigned myself to the fact that this is all part of the process and I'll just be patient and let nature take its course. When it happens it happens, I think we are just so excited and want it to happen so bad.

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[rlditmars]

That picture looks like an ovy to me. Especially the way the tail is sucked in. Congrats. Watch for her next shed and that should be prelay. If you count 105 days from Thursday, that should be pretty close to the hatch date.

[Dave Green]

I remember mistaking building for ovulation my first year breeding ball pythons. I would think they ovulated but then a month or so later I'd see the real ovulation. After that first year ovulations became very obvious and I never made the mistake again. A couple ovulations from last year:

[Genetics]

Yea, that's what I am expecting an ovy to be as well, but what was this swelling if not ovulation? Can't remember reading about females who swell so much and go back to size unless it was an ovy.. Or can they swell like this during building aswell ? It isn't the classic ovy-swelling, that's for sure ..

[Dave Green]

Yea, that's what I am expecting an ovy to be as well, but what was this swelling if not ovulation? Can't remember reading about females who swell so much and go back to size unless it was an ovy.. Or can they swell like this during building aswell ? It isn't the classic ovy-swelling, that's for sure ..

They can swell that much during building.

[Genetics]

Okay. I've never read anything about them swelling like that, and go back to normal size as building. Well, now I know that too She's been laying on the hot side since the swelling though...