I have a female that I don't know if she's building, gravid, ovulating. Any opinions?

[ian.nesmith]

I got this female from a local breeder and she was sold to me as a Super Pastel. Now that I've had her and taken some really good inspections of her she looks more like an Enchi Pastel to me, but I guess I'll never know. I've had her for about a month and a half now, she hasn't eaten, she hasn't shed. The guy just last week told me he accidentally had her locked with a Lesser Mojave that he thought was also a female. Then once I got her, I had a visual lock with my Fire male.

So that makes her being locked once about 2 weeks ago, and once about two months ago. When I bought her, he told me she was about 1300g, now I weigh her and she's 1477g, which I'm attributing to him not weighing her.

Last night I came home and the room she's in was about 68 degrees and she was on the cold side sitting right on top of the water bowl. She does look fat, but I'm not sure if she's building or what I really just don't know what to think about her. Her genes are a mystery, and so is where she's at in her process of laying eggs. I cannot feel any follicles in her, but this is my first year breeding so I'm pretty new to it!

Any help would be absolutely amazing, here are some pics!

On cold side of tank last night, I had moved the water bowl.



Looking fat and bright!



This morning with my Enchi Lemonblast that I recently acquired.




Another random pic in her new tub.

[BCS]

She doesn't look like she is pregnant at all. She has "fat rolls" but I highly doubt she is on the extreme obesity side. I think she is fine in that aspect, but she does not look pregnant at all.

Just because a ball python is on the cool side, is absolutely no indication that she is building. All snakes travel from the warm to cool side on their personal wants and needs. 68F is definitely too cold but it doesn't mean that she does not need to cool down from time to time.

[ian.nesmith]

She doesn't look like she is pregnant at all. She has "fat rolls" but I highly doubt she is on the extreme obesity side. I think she is fine in that aspect, but she does not look pregnant at all.

Just because a ball python is on the cool side, is absolutely no indication that she is building. All snakes travel from the warm to cool side on their personal wants and needs. 68F is definitely too cold but it doesn't mean that she does not need to cool down from time to time.

Well the cold side of her tank is 78-81, its the actual room temp that is that low. I put my male back with her two days ago and still no visual locks. I had them in a week ago as well with no luck. We'll see I suppose.

[BCS]

1300G (in my opinion) is too small. I always wait until my females are 3 years old. Usually by that time, a good eater will be at 1900g. I never breed a female younger then three and/or under 1600g. Just saying. Just don't rush anything because you can risk your female's health. How old and big is your male?

[ian.nesmith]

1300G (in my opinion) is too small. I always wait until my females are 3 years old. Usually by that time, a good eater will be at 1900g. I never breed a female younger then three and/or under 1600g. Just saying. Just don't rush anything because you can risk your female's health. How old and big is your male?

She's 1500g, and he's around 1450g

[ian.nesmith]

This girl still hasn't eaten, hasn't shed, and isn't locking with any of my males. Wish she wasn't such a mystery lol.

[bks2100]

1300G (in my opinion) is too small. I always wait until my females are 3 years old. Usually by that time, a good eater will be at 1900g. I never breed a female younger then three and/or under 1600g. Just saying. Just don't rush anything because you can risk your female's health. How old and big is your male?

This seems like a weird thread to critisize someone's choice on when to breed. He got the snake at 1300, which a lot of people still consider ok to breed at, and it's bigger now.

I would have thought if someone was going to lecture someone it'd be on his quarantine process.

[Galaxygirl]

She doesn't look like she is pregnant at all. She has "fat rolls" but I highly doubt she is on the extreme obesity side. I think she is fine in that aspect, but she does not look pregnant at all.

Just because a ball python is on the cool side, is absolutely no indication that she is building. All snakes travel from the warm to cool side on their personal wants and needs. 68F is definitely too cold but it doesn't mean that she does not need to cool down from time to time.

How do you tell visually if a female is gravid? I have no idea how some people can just say "She's definitely gravid" just by looking at the snake. What are the signs that this female is not showing?

I would have thought if someone was going to lecture someone it'd be on his quarantine process.

I thought this as well, haha.

[ian.nesmith]

Haha...

[Ax01]

This morning with my Enchi Lemonblast that I recently acquired.

She's 1500g, and he's around 1450g

that lil guy squeezed in the middle is 1450grams to her 1500grams?

and yes, i agree, i think u need better QT practices. seems you're kinda rushing esp. with recently acquired BP's u don't know much about.