Ovy? Check. POS? Check. Eggs? NOPE! Should I be worried?

So our normal x mojo breeding seems to have taken. Our female ovulated on April 2nd. She did have her post ovulation shed, unfortunately, it wasn't stamped down which day it was. I am certain it's been much longer than 30 days, though. She's done the laying upside down, backwards, sideways, etc. She's done the tub cruising, digging through the substrate, in and out of the laybox. Her tub looks like bomb went off.

But NO EGGS yet! I've picked her up, I can see them inside of her, very clearly. No photos, though, as I didn't want to mess with her too much. I can feel them, very clearly as well. Her back is very peaked/ridged. Her tail is scrunched.

But I'm worried. Today is day 83 post-ovy. and no eggs. Nothing seems to be moving.

SHOULD I be worried? I'm fairly confident she's not egg bound. I had a corn egg-bound with a whole pile of slug soup last year, and I know what that looked like, and it was not pretty. But this snake is exhibiting all the normal signs, but she just hasn't laid yet.

83 days is an EXTREMELY long time, is it not?

Have any of you had a snake go "overdue" like this? Is this just murphy messing with me, yet again, this season?

AHHHH!

Anyways, here's some photos of her. The ovy-

http://i973.photobucket.com/albums/a...il22011006.jpg
http://i973.photobucket.com/albums/a...il22011005.jpg
http://i973.photobucket.com/albums/a...il22011004.jpg
http://i973.photobucket.com/albums/a...il22011003.jpg
http://i973.photobucket.com/albums/a...il22011002.jpg
http://i973.photobucket.com/albums/a...il22011001.jpg

Poor lady laying all funny-

http://i973.photobucket.com/albums/a...-302011045.jpg
http://i973.photobucket.com/albums/a...-302011044.jpg
http://i973.photobucket.com/albums/a...-302011043.jpg
http://i973.photobucket.com/albums/a...-302011042.jpg
http://i973.photobucket.com/albums/a...-302011041.jpg

bps will lay with there belly up like that to help position the eggs. give it some more time. if its only been around 30 days since her shed she will go any day now. Some of my females took 43 days after they shed to lay. I wouldnt worry to much just give her some time.

that's the thing, i'm not sure of the precise date she shed, but even if she shed 3 weeks after ovulation, that's still 62 days after her shed. i usually breed corns, though we did have 1 BP clutch last year. but most people say that 27 days after the shed, and pretty much like clockwork you will have eggs.

THAT's what's got me worried! 62 days is a very long time.

If shes not egg bound then, you should be seeing some eggies soon! From what I've read and my girl who went to like day 45 (not an exact count) you just have to wait it out. Shes gorgeous though. Good luck. It also looks like you have some cypress for her which is good because I've heard sometimes they retain eggs until the humidity is right.

yep, she's had a laybox full of humid sphagnum moss in there for quite some time now.

tick tock tick tock tick tock...

All of the pics look like she's still adjusting things and getting ready for the big day. Mine are usually behaving that way for several weeks and then they finally settle down and stay coiled for a few days (or weeks) before finally laying their eggs. Just be patient. She knows what she's doing. ;)

those photos of her laying upside down are from May 27th, haha. but i've caught her doing it a couple times in the last few days, too.

thanks for the reassurances, it eases my mind. i will let you guys know when she lays, and i'll post photos of course!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by SquamishSerpents

that's the thing, i'm not sure of the precise date she shed, but even if she shed 3 weeks after ovulation, that's still 62 days after her shed. i usually breed corns, though we did have 1 BP clutch last year. but most people say that 27 days after the shed, and pretty much like clockwork you will have eggs.

THAT's what's got me worried! 62 days is a very long time.

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It's not at all like clockwork. I have had them lay anywhere from 26 up to 55 days after the post ov shed. Yours does seem longer than anything I have seen, but I am sure that it is not unheard of. How warm is it in her box that you have set up? Cooler temps definitely make it take a lot longer for them to lay.

I'm wondering about the temp too. I keep my girls between 88 and 90 since they are all in the same rack whether they are building/laying/done for the season. I want the eggs to be laid in the same temp as my bator is. My girls have all been pretty late late, not that late, but up to 26 days late.

80 days is quite a long time. Do you have any updated pictures?

And does anybody know the symptoms of a female being eggbound? I heard they go very weak after struggling to lay for a few days?

Here's a thread:

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...light=eggbound

There was a thread on Fauna where someone had a female go 86 days after her post ovy shed. :weirdface

thank you guys, the temps are reading at 87, which i suppose it a little bit lower than ideal.

i have moved her out of the rack and onto a heat pad w/ reptitemp thermostat. i've upped her temps to 90, hoping to get her lay box nice and warm.

i have had an eggbound snake before, though it was a corn. however she got eggbound near the end of laying her "clutch" if you could even call it that. it was extremely obvious in her case though.

the snake in question is by no means lethargic, when i opened her bin to move her earlier her head immediately looked up at me, and since i've moved her she's been cruising around her tub. i have some more photos of her laying upside down from a few days ago, unfortunately they're crummy iphone photos. i'll post them up in a second.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Quiet Tempest

There was a thread on Fauna where someone had a female go 86 days after her post ovy shed. :weirdface

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any chance you know the link on Fauna?

here are some photos of her from a few days ago (June 22nd):

http://i973.photobucket.com/albums/a...nts/photo1.jpg

http://i973.photobucket.com/albums/a...nts/photo2.jpg

http://i973.photobucket.com/albums/a...nts/photo3.jpg

http://i973.photobucket.com/albums/a...nts/photo4.jpg

http://i973.photobucket.com/albums/a...nts/photo5.jpg

...will add more, my phone is just spazzing out as i'm trying to email them to myself

Sure.

http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/foru...d.php?t=252925

and here are a few that I just took:

http://i973.photobucket.com/albums/a...s/photo2-1.jpg

http://i973.photobucket.com/albums/a...s/photo3-1.jpg

http://i973.photobucket.com/albums/a...s/photo4-1.jpg

http://i973.photobucket.com/albums/a...s/photo5-1.jpg

http://i973.photobucket.com/albums/a...s/photo1-2.jpg

http://i973.photobucket.com/albums/a...s/photo2-2.jpg

so she looks damn ready to pop to me, and i *think* her last egg is closer to her vent than last time i felt her up, but i'm not positive.

she feels very firm and gravid. VERY bottom - heavy.

i'm just so worried, we've already had to take a snake to the vet this year, and i still have to adminster oral Baytril to her. UGH. not fun.

i just hope nothing goes wrong with this lady. Birch, is her name.

let me know if you guys think anything looks amiss.

whoa, that last pic makes her tail look very weird. i think that's just the extreme angle. i snapped it from above as she was slinking back into her tub.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Quiet Tempest

Sure.

http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/foru...d.php?t=252925

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thanks for that! damn, i want to post a reply on that thread, but my account is awaiting activation :(

an update on her today:

she is super restless. doing all sorts of weird things with her body. going around and around and around in circles, in the same spot (on the warm side). she almost seems even twitchy.

hasn't went in her box that i can see.

she seems to be breathing heavier than usual, and i THINK her tail/vent is more bulbousy than it was yesterday.

I'M FREAKIN' OUT!!

do you think she is egg-bound, and acting so uncomfortable as a result? or is this it?

i've never seen a ball python lay. only ever opened up the bin and seen the eggs already having been deposited.

holy crap i think this is it! she's started to arch her body a bit, in sort of a wave-like motion

please be eggs? :D

more pics from earlier today, because i take millions.

http://i973.photobucket.com/albums/a...e262011001.jpg

http://i973.photobucket.com/albums/a...e262011002.jpg

http://i973.photobucket.com/albums/a...e262011003.jpg

http://i973.photobucket.com/albums/a...e262011004.jpg

okay so, do snakes actually go into "labour?"

because she laid an egg! well, it's actually a slug i'm pretty positive. but FINALLY, she is laying. somebody cross their fingers that something fertile comes out?

Take a deep breath!!!! Put in a good movie, relax and let her do her thing :), congrats :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by SquamishSerpents

okay so, do snakes actually go into "labour?"

because she laid an egg! well, it's actually a slug i'm pretty positive. but FINALLY, she is laying. somebody cross their fingers that something fertile comes out?

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I'm sure they go through stages that are similar, but not quite the same, as mammalian labor. At least, it certainly looks it when you see the behavioral changes leading up to finally laying the eggs.

Glad she's finally started laying for you. ;) Oh and don't be surprised if she doesn't lay all at once. There have been several threads on here where females lay one or two eggs or slugs and then the rest are laid a day or so later.

Congrats!

Update? More slugs?

3 good eggs, 2 slugs! will post photos soon.

HOLY MOTHER these ones are MUCH bigger than our Albino's eggs last year.

they're in with momma snake right now, we're going to transfer them into the incubator tomorrow morning just to make sure she is finished.

one of the eggs has a small portion that's looking sort of yellow-y and remaining see-thru, hopefully it's still good.