Lock?

Wow, she really ballooned up overnight. According to what I've read we should have eggs in around 44 days, (http://www.ballpython.ca/gallery/breeding.html). Watching her closely and getting an incubator ready. She should go into a pre-lay shed in a coupla weeks correct?

S

http://i663.photobucket.com/albums/u...ps9935f706.jpg

http://i663.photobucket.com/albums/u...ps1d2b185a.jpg

Yes pre-lay shed in 2-3 weeks on average.

Here she is before ovulation.........before "the glow".


http://i663.photobucket.com/albums/u...psb27eed0e.jpg

Ovulating. Obviously glowing....what a difference! She's building, restless and obviously uncomfortable. She had been laying inverted immediately prior to my taking this photo; she rolled back over just before I pushed the shutter. Her change of appearance, especially her color is quite dramatic.

http://i663.photobucket.com/albums/u...ps1b70b2b5.jpg

Update. Caught her laying upside down today. She's obviously uncomfortable, and stays mostly on the warm end. According to her pre-lay shed she should lay June 23 or 24. Got the incubator and egg tub set up and holding a steady 89. Watching for "tail suck". Stay tuned!

S

http://i663.photobucket.com/albums/u...ps4cb7a214.jpg

Still building, laying inverted more and more. Lay date should be this Sunday or Monday, (or maybe even Saturday). Egg box and incubator waiting..........

S


http://i663.photobucket.com/albums/u...ps3ef95258.jpg

Just to clarify, "tail suck" and building occur during or before ovulation. ;)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Annarose15

Just to clarify, "tail suck" and building occur during or before ovulation. ;)

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Thanks for the clarification. The "art" of breeding ball pythons has evolved since the last time I bred any reptiles some 25-odd years ago, mostly chameleons & geckos, but did have a wild-caught gravid female BP drop a clutch on me once, (successfully incubated in my chamy incubator....way before "designer" ball pythons started showing up and it became an industry). I owned a reptile-specific pet store in the late 80's in SoCal...captive breeding was just getting going then, and breeding husbandry hadn't really been standardized yet. In the meantime breeders have refined techniques down to a science and I'm still playing a bit of catch up. Whatever the case, her last shed, (presumably, probably, a pre-lay shed), should mean eggs should be laid on the 23rd or 24th; at least according to Marcus Jayne's website info, and assuming she had ovulated prior to that shed, (confirmed by a poster earlier in this thread). She's obviously been uncomfortable, laying inverted, moving around and such, so I think I'm reading her signs correctly and I should see a clutch by next week, (hopeful wishing....:confusd: ). All I can do is wait and let her do her thing, (or not do her thing...), and report back.

For some reason the site says I removed the photos in some previous posts, (I didn't), but I'll see if I can remedy that so you can go back and confirm the "glow" from those earlier pics.

S

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Slitherous

A month after obtaining these two BP's, (I had a normal adult male, and a 2012 baby female already), I seem to have my first lock with the 2007 Normal female, and 2008 Cinnamon male!

Hard to see well, but they've been in this position for hours, (don't wanna try and move them to see better), and I can just see the Cinnamon male's tail inverted under the normal females tail. Since they've been in this position so long I am assuming there is a lock going on under there. Please check out the pics and see if you agree. This is the first breeding of any species I've accomplished in over 20 years, (like riding a bike I guess), and my first with BP's so I'm pleased. Considering that these snakes went through a major wintertime move a month ago, and are just getting settled is a good omen for things to come, (I hope). I have a young Spider female who will get her chance with this Cinny next winter. Due to the move, and my allowing them to adjust to their new environs, I thought it was getting a little late in the season to pair them up, but since they seemed to be adjusting so well I decided what the heck...give it a shot! I hadn't noticed any outright signs of ovulation from the female, but she had just eaten and shed, so I figured I'd just put them together and see if anything happened......looks like something did!!
The first photo is what I saw first thing this morning when I pulled the tub, they later moved enough for me to get a look at their tails and a few photos. In the first pic the female has her head down at the other end of the tub, while the male was wrapped up as you see him. The second pic is a closeup of the only viewing angle I have of their tails, but considering they've been that way for hours I vote "lock"!!! Photo 3 was all I could see for hours, but photo 2 was late this afternoon. I guess I'll just have to wait and see!

http://i663.photobucket.com/albums/u...psa2541d73.jpg

http://i663.photobucket.com/albums/u...ps5b29b10f.jpg
http://i663.photobucket.com/albums/u...psdef7e719.jpg

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Are you able to put them together even though you didnt feel follicles????:P

She's looking very ridgebacked tonight. Drop day should be tomorrow or the next day. Of course I have to be away from home all day tomorrow, but I assume she will lay whether I'm around or not. Stay tuned,

S

http://i663.photobucket.com/albums/u...psfd5e7088.jpg

Well, today was the day, and according to my calculations she was right on schedule. 8 egg clutch, 750grams, (93.75 average per egg). Candled them with a pen light and as far as I could tell there were veins showing in all of the eggs, so we should be good. She was a bit hissy, but not necessarily aggressive when I removed her, didn't strike just hissed. The eggs were stuck to the bottom of the tub, but they came loose easily. I was worried that they may not fit in the egg tub I had prepared, but with a little gentle manipulation they just fit. Had the incubator and egg tub ready to go, so now I just keep an eye on them and wait. Pretty happy with this first clutch in over 20 years, and hopefully I'll have 4 normal and 4 cinnamon babies by the end of August. Thanks to all who advised and encouraged!:bow:

Guarding those eggs!

http://i663.photobucket.com/albums/u...ps4c3a1844.jpg

Eight big eggs, not bad for a first clutch for this girl.

http://i663.photobucket.com/albums/u...ps0b2a0a57.jpg

Into the egg tub, (barely), then into the incubator.

http://i663.photobucket.com/albums/u...ps20b42689.jpg


Stay tuned, I'll post updates during incubation, and for sure will post baby pics when they hatch.


S