WARNING: This post contains GRAPHIC pictures. Not for the weak of stomach...
In case you didn't see my first thread, here is the link to the backstory.
http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...-out-right-now...
Basically, my gravid female apparently became eggbound and passed away with the eggs inside her. I made the decision to try to extract the eggs from her so we didn't lose them too. I decided to cut from the cloaca up rather than trying to push the eggs out. I didn't want to risk breaking any in the process. Here are some of the pictures we took to document this...
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I didn't get a picture of the first cut, but I carefully inserted the tip of the scissors into the cloaca and made a cut along both sides of the belly scales. Here's the first egg we saw.
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y28...ecovery/01.jpg
More cutting...
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y28...ecovery/02.jpg
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y28...ecovery/03.jpg
Now you can see the second egg...
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y28...ecovery/06.jpg
Extraction...
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y28...ecovery/07.jpg
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y28...ecovery/08.jpg
More cutting. The eggs didn't slide down easily so I decided to keep cutting rather than risk it.
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y28...ecovery/10.jpg
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y28...ecovery/13.jpg
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y28...ecovery/14.jpg
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y28...ecovery/15.jpg
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y28...ecovery/17.jpg
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y28...ecovery/25.jpg
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y28...ecovery/26.jpg
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y28...ecovery/28.jpg
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y28...ecovery/31.jpg
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y28...ecovery/34.jpg
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y28...ecovery/35.jpg
All five eggs out...
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y28...ecovery/39.jpg
Candling before the second disaster...
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y28...ecovery/43.jpg
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y28...ecovery/44.jpg
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y28...ecovery/45.jpg
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y28...ecovery/46.jpg
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y28...ecovery/47.jpg
Now it's just a waiting game to see if the eggs make it. Thank you to everyone who has been watching this post unfold. Hopefully I will be updating this on my birthday (July 31st) with pictures of the "miracle clutch" coming out of the eggs...