Omg. Eggs!

[colin-java]

Hi, I posted about a month ago about my 24 year old female that was bloated, and I took it to the vets.

The swelling started about the 12th March, then it went down, then she shed on 30th March.

And today, about 48 days later I've just come home to two eggs.

https://imgur.com/a/0k4tVa7

I think a 3rd is on the way.

I felt the one, it just felt like a water balloon, I couldn't see any veins in it when I put light on it, but they don't look like slugs either.
She seems very defensive and I think she'll bite if I put my hand in.

Do I need to check all the eggs with light?
Any advice is good, in shock right now, cause its been longer than 30 days, and had given up waiting for eggs.
Thanks very much.

[Stewart_Reptiles]

Well there is not point in letter her sit on unfertile eggs if unecessary so knowing if they are fertile or not is definitely a must.

Just cover her head with a towel, gently uncoil her, candle the eggs and put her back. Do not change the position of the eggs.

[colin-java]

Well there is not point in letter her sit on unfertile eggs if unecessary so knowing if they are fertile or not is definitely a must.

Just cover her head with a towel, gently uncoil her, candle the eggs and put her back. Do not change the position of the eggs.

Thanks, 3 eggs layed now, I wanna let her finish, looks like could be more.

Should the eggs feel like water balloons, or more solid feeling?
Do they start as water balloons and then harden after a few hours?

Does candling work right away?

I was expecting slugs if anything, but visually they look like regular eggs, or do they start off like this then turn small and yellow if slugs?

Thanks, if you can advise me that would be great.

[Bogertophis]

Keep all eggs in the same position (don't turn them over). In your pic they look like good eggs, but personally I'd describe obvious slugs as feeling like a water
balloon, not good eggs...then again, I know the difference. Not all show veins right away...if possibly good, I incubate & check again later, it can take a while.
Slugs can look like slugs to start with, or they can appear to be good eggs that just eventually go bad. Was this snake bred? Good luck...and for sure, don't
bother a snake while she may be laying...be patient, probably lots more to go. They can get tired & rest a while between eggs...it's hard work!

BTW, the best way to see veins is in a dark room, with small flashlight up close. You said you can't put your hand in or she'll bite, so that tells me that you
haven't been close enough to candle & judge these as viable...

And even IF she has never mated, consider the possibility of parthenogenesis...the eggs still "could" be viable. I had an older un-bred rosy boa that had
some mid-life inspiration to reproduce ...don't underestimate their urge to have young, whether eggs or live young it's always a remote possibility.

[Stewart_Reptiles]

Thanks, 3 eggs layed now, I wanna let her finish, looks like could be more.

Should the eggs feel like water balloons, or more solid feeling?
Do they start as water balloons and then harden after a few hours?

Does candling work right away?

I was expecting slugs if anything, but visually they look like regular eggs, or do they start off like this then turn small and yellow if slugs?

Thanks, if you can advise me that would be great.

Ball python eggs are soft to the touch not hard like chicken eggs so yes what you are feeling is normal.

Slugs are usually smaller yellowish eggs, than unfertile eggs look like healthy eggs however they will not have any vein structures.

[colin-java]

Keep all eggs in the same position (don't turn them over). In your pic they look like good eggs, but personally I'd describe obvious slugs as feeling like a water
balloon, not good eggs...then again, I know the difference. Not all show veins right away...if possibly good, I incubate & check again later, it can take a while.
Slugs can look like slugs to start with, or they can appear to be good eggs that just eventually go bad. Was this snake bred? Good luck...and for sure, don't
bother a snake while she may be laying...be patient, probably lots more to go. They can get tired & rest a while between eggs...it's hard work!

BTW, the best way to see veins is in a dark room, with small flashlight up close. You said you can't put your hand in or she'll bite, so that tells me that you
haven't been close enough to candle & judge these as viable...

And even IF she has never mated, consider the possibility of parthenogenesis...the eggs still "could" be viable. I had an older un-bred rosy boa that had
some mid-life inspiration to reproduce ...don't underestimate their urge to have young, whether eggs or live young it's always a remote possibility.

Snake has never been with another snake, I thought she was a male until a couple of months ago in fact.
As she hasn't been bred, then obviously we need parthenogenesis to happen for babies, so its a long shot really that they are viable eggs.

Up to 4 eggs now, bottom 10" above the vent looks chunkier than the the rest of the snake, so I think there could be 5/6 eggs perhaps.

I haven't seen any veins yet in the couple I've looked at. But it's funny cause they do look like proper eggs, I'll just leave her be anyway and check for veins later.

Just worried an egg will get stuck that's all, egg bound I think its called.

I'm relieved somethings happening anyway cause she wasn't eating and she felt squidgy underneath (like the eggs do now), so hopefully should get her appetite back soon.

[Bogertophis]

Snake has never been with another snake, I thought she was a male until a couple of months ago in fact.
As she hasn't been bred, then obviously we need parthenogenesis to happen for babies, so its a long shot really that they are viable eggs.

Up to 4 eggs now, bottom 10" above the vent looks chunkier than the the rest of the snake, so I think there could be 5/6 eggs perhaps.

I haven't seen any veins yet in the couple I've looked at. But it's funny cause they do look like proper eggs, I'll just leave her be anyway and check for veins later.

Just worried an egg will get stuck that's all, egg bound I think its called.

I'm relieved somethings happening anyway cause she wasn't eating and she felt squidgy underneath (like the eggs do now), so hopefully should get her appetite back soon.

LOL, yes, I'd say you've got a female...leaving her undisturbed while she's laying eggs is the best, to help preclude egg-binding. Still can happen with unusually-
large eggs now & then, but hovering can make her nervous & tense, not what she needs to get her job done. Give her as much privacy as you can stand...

If it makes you feel any better, I have 2:2 Florida (yellow+) rat snakes that have never bred, yet every year both females lay double-clutches of infertile eggs, most
of which appear to be good but which eventually all go bad. I don't save the obvious slugs, but even so that's a lot of eggs! Their first clutch is 2 dozen or slightly less,
& the second clutch is mercifully much smaller. I've used the eggs for "show & tell" when my snakes meet the public.

When I have bred snakes & successfully hatched them, I've seen eggs that didn't immediately look good (maybe the veins were too small to show up) but after a week
or so did color up just fine & hatched out healthy snakes.

At least you know what's going on with her now. Snakes are full of surprises.

[colin-java]

LOL, yes, I'd say you've got a female...leaving her undisturbed while she's laying eggs is the best, to help preclude egg-binding. Still can happen with unusually-
large eggs now & then, but hovering can make her nervous & tense, not what she needs to get her job done. Give her as much privacy as you can stand...

If it makes you feel any better, I have 2:2 Florida (yellow+) rat snakes that have never bred, yet every year both females lay double-clutches of infertile eggs, most
of which appear to be good but which eventually all go bad. I don't save the obvious slugs, but even so that's a lot of eggs! Their first clutch is 2 dozen or slightly less,
& the second clutch is mercifully much smaller. I've used the eggs for "show & tell" when my snakes meet the public.

When I have bred snakes & successfully hatched them, I've seen eggs that didn't immediately look good (maybe the veins were too small to show up) but after a week
or so did color up just fine & hatched out healthy snakes.

At least you know what's going on with her now. Snakes are full of surprises.

Yeah I think she's definitely female now, 6 eggs in total, and now she looks anorexic, pretty sure that's it as I'd notice if there were more eggs.

I've not seen any veins, how long should I wait before I know for sure they aren't viable eggs?

She's coiled round most of them right now.

[Bogertophis]

I've had good eggs take over a week before veins were obvious. Personally, I'd incubate & wait...never know what you might miss otherwise. But it's up to you.

[colin-java]

I've had good eggs take over a week before veins were obvious. Personally, I'd incubate & wait...never know what you might miss otherwise. But it's up to you.

Well its not gonna hurt to try, I just don't have anything set up, can I let her incubate them herself for a day or two?