Can gravid boas shed

My hypo Nicaraguan is on day 70 since her last she’d which I thought was her post ovulation shed and it looks like she’s going into shed again, has anyone known this to happen, she’s on been having rat weeners instead of her medium rats and she still looks gravid
Any advice welcome
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Wow, good question...& if YOU don't know...;) I hope someone does...

Yes. Normal...especially if you are feeding.

My female Pokigron Suriname shed the last two years while she was gravid.

If she was in my care I would not feed again until after she gives birth. Two reasons: the act of constricting will kill partially formed embryos and the act of defecation can lead to premature birth.

Good luck with the litter.

Thanks for that she’s been having less then half the size she normally has .o wasn’t going to bit she’s been properly slobbering at the glass when the others next her have had there food defrosting.
I won’t no more then
Thanks,
My female who gave me babies two years ago never shed since her pos and stopped wanting food about this time anyway and all was nice and healthy


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Yes, while not super common, I've had and heard of boas shedding half way through gestation. Nothing to worry about :)

Bns really? I was always told to feed until she doesnt have an interest anymore. My female should he laying in the next 2 weeks and she is feeding no problem...... small sizes though

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Originally Posted by Weremey59

Bns really? I was always told to feed until she doesnt have an interest anymore. My female should he laying in the next 2 weeks and she is feeding no problem...... small sizes though

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There’s loads of conflicting thoughts on wether or not too feed when a boa is gravid, I was always told to feed smaller food until they don’t want food.my last female who was gravid refused food from about 60days and she didn’t shed since her pos.thats what thru me

I know some people say don’t feed at all once gravid .but that don’t make sense to me as surely the babies growing inside need nutrients and this way surely is better for the female to recover after giving birth rather than using all her fat reserves.
Good luck and don’t forget to post some pics


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Originally Posted by AbsoluteApril

Yes, while not super common, I've had and heard of boas shedding half way through gestation. Nothing to worry about :)

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Hi April
Thanks for the advise, do you feed when gravid? There’s such conflicting advise.
Thanks rich


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I offer food until 4 weeks before due date (based on 105 days after POS).

Have 2 gravid girls currently, one has refused food since POS and the other ate on normal schedule, normal size food (1 small rabbit a month), until I stopped offering, she's due in a few weeks. I stop for the last month to avoid the female dropping prematurely when trying to passs waste.

This is what has worked for me. :)

*1 sm rabbit a month (actually 4-6weeks)

Thanks April that’s much appreciated


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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Weremey59

Bns really? I was always told to feed until she doesnt have an interest anymore. My female should he laying in the next 2 weeks and she is feeding no problem...... small sizes though

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First things first...you said 'laying'...if you're not asking about boas please disregard the following.

One needs to be careful with the word 'interest' as it pertains to boas and food... I've heard keepers say "well she took the rat so she's hungry".

Just because a boa will eat when food is shoved in its face doesn't mean its hungry or that it is best for it while gravid. There is millions of years of genetic programing telling that boa to eat if it gets a chance (for some reason bp's didn't get that program :P).

Mature boas (8 years and up) need very little food to be healthy and perform reproduction. I rarely feed any boas in the winter of any age...most go 3 to 6 months without food every year. The last litter a female Suriname boa had here, she did so with only one meal in a 7+ month period. My Occidentalis has had 6 rabbits in the last two years and is in perfect breeding condition...after the male is done with her this season I will assess her reaction to food and she may get an offering but I won't bat an eye if she doesn't eat until after she gives birth.

I don't have any issue with feeding early during the process but you're rolling the dice the nearer the due date.

If I had to offer just one piece of advice it would be to pay attention to your critters and trust your observations. A boa in my care with day/night/temps offered here will not be the same as a boa raised under different conditions. People have been told many things as it pertains to keeping boas...some of it is useful. ;) -I don't allow what I read or what I've been told to trump my observations.