Strange behaviour/gravid? ball python

[Shmalex]

Hello, everyone! I'm hoping someone can offer some insight and advice on my issue.
I have a 13 year old female ball python. I've owned her her whole life. I am not a breeder and never planned to be so I'm out of my element. She's my only snake. But my girl layed a parthenogenetic clutch last year.. 5 healthy babies. It was wild because I didn't know they could do that lol. The birth was hard on her though and I hadn't got her back to full weight before she went off food about 4 months ago. In the last week or so she's been acting so strange.. which makes me think she's gone and impregnated herself again. Or there is something wrong.. the last time she allowed me to hold her, it didn't feel like eggs in her but I wasn't really looking and not experienced in this so I don't know.
She's been pacing like crazy, was soaking in her bath, then crawling up her branch to bask, aggressive and skittish lately (so I'm leaving her alone), back and forth from hot to cold side, barely sleeping, peeing lots. She has been pushing her bedding away under her hides which looks like nesting. She is normally very docile and friendly and generally isn't too active unless hungry. So she is not herself at all. So I'm very concerned. Her temps are fine and thermostat hasn't malfunctioned.

What do you guys think??
If she is gravid, is there concern that she was on the thinner side? What should I do for her?
How do I keep her from doing this again?

Thank you for your time!

[Albert Clark]

Congratulations on the clutch. Out of curiosity can you describe the type of environment she is living in? The temperatures and humidity and heating setup you have for her. Typically, ball pythons don’t bask. Pretty much they are underground dwellers and primarily nocturnal.

[Bogertophis]

What date last year did she lay eggs? One risk when snakes insist on producing eggs without breeding is also egg-binding- an egg can get left behind. I even had a rat snake (years ago) that had an ectopic pregnancy- an egg wouldn't come out because it wasn't at all in the right place- but happily, surgery by a very experienced vet got her thru that (with a necessary spay).

BTW, you have my sympathy- I have dealt with parthenogenesis in snakes before, & I still have 2 aging rat snakes that produced large double-clutches of eggs every year...
I wish I could say for sure what's going on with your snake, but I can't. I hope for the best though.

If you need to find a vet to check her out, this site can help: https://arav.site-ym.com/search/custom.asp?id=3661

[Homebody]

I have dealt with parthenogenesis in snakes before, & I still have 2 aging rat snakes that produced large double-clutches of eggs every year...

Sorry. I don't mean to side-track the thread, but how common is parthenogenesis? I've always gotten males to avoid it, but I thought it was a rare thing.

[Bogertophis]

Sorry. I don't mean to side-track the thread, but how common is parthenogenesis? I've always gotten males to avoid it, but I thought it was a rare thing.

It's fairly rare, but when you've had as many snakes as I have, over so many years, my number was bound to come up, I guess? But it's also like buying a lottery ticket- you can "win" on a first try too, but just don't bet too much on it. Even without parthenogenesis- without viable eggs- realize that some female snakes just produce eggs anyway- & I don't know how to predict that either. Years back I had a beautiful, healthy little CA desert king that died young from egg-binding- she never bred, & I had no idea what was going on until too late.

[Shmalex]

Thanks for the reply!
She's in a hand made terrarium. Wood with a plexy glass window, 4'×2' and I think 2' high. I use a radiant heat panel on the inside roof of terrarium. Then she has a stone tile on her hot side with belly heat mat on the outside of tank under it. Both radiant heat and belly have thermostats of course. Her cool side is 26.6c or 80f. The probe is on the bedding under the hide where she lays. The hot side is 29.5c or 85f. I haven't had a humidity probe in for a while because it was always the same for years. But it sits around 50. And I heavy mist around sheds so it's around 70-80. She's on coconut husk bedding that I allow to dry out before heavy mistings. But generally her big water bowl under the radiant heat panel, and no open top keeps me from having to mist too much. She had a light in her tank but hated it so I just use natural light.
She's generally a very happy, healthy, plump girl and nothing in her home has changed.
Maybe she's not "basking" but she has a log on an angle going up and she generally climbs it at night. I just noticed her doing it more.
She's been less active yesterday and today. Staying under her cold hide. But I haven't bothered her.

I hopefully answered all your questions! I'd put a picture but I'm not sure how on here

[Shmalex]

Thank you for the reply!
This is extremely embarrassing but I don't know when they were layed last year.. around the time I had hip surgery I'd assume. I was very unwell and left her alone because she's quite large I can't handle her with one hand and I had crutches and a cane for a while 😥
They HATCHED August 28th last year. Inside her normal enclosure on the hot side.
Everyone says congratulations but it was so stressful.. haha I gave them to a local breeder because I was not set up for them. So thank you for your sympathies. And she was unwell for a bit after although she got her appetite back the day they hatched! Which was good.
I had a look at the vet finder. Thank you! The closest is a bit over 2 hrs away..
I want to check her out more but when I lifted her hide yesterday she was pissssed. I have zero experience with aggressive snakes haha so I left her alone. She's been a golden retriever of snakes up until this.

[Shmalex]

It's fairly rare, but when you've had as many snakes as I have, over so many years, my number was bound to come up, I guess? But it's also like buying a lottery ticket- you can "win" on a first try too, but just don't bet too much on it. Even without parthenogenesis- without viable eggs- realize that some female snakes just produce eggs anyway- & I don't know how to predict that either. Years back I had a beautiful, healthy little CA desert king that died young from egg-binding- she never bred, & I had no idea what was going on until too late.

I hear it's rare. When I asked around last year about this, no one could tell me much. I asked if she's likely to do it again and no one even answered me. I really hope this isn't a yearly thing now 😓 I'm scared for her especially since her weight was quite low for her. I'm scared of them getting stuck but without a breeding date I don't know if she's gravid and if she is how far along. I don't know at what point this is a danger

[Bogertophis]

Thanks for the reply!
She's in a hand made terrarium. Wood with a plexy glass window, 4'×2' and I think 2' high. I use a radiant heat panel on the inside roof of terrarium. Then she has a stone tile on her hot side with belly heat mat on the outside of tank under it. Both radiant heat and belly have thermostats of course. Her cool side is 26.6c or 80f. The probe is on the bedding under the hide where she lays. The hot side is 29.5c or 85f. I haven't had a humidity probe in for a while because it was always the same for years. But it sits around 50. And I heavy mist around sheds so it's around 70-80. She's on coconut husk bedding that I allow to dry out before heavy mistings. But generally her big water bowl under the radiant heat panel, and no open top keeps me from having to mist too much. She had a light in her tank but hated it so I just use natural light.
She's generally a very happy, healthy, plump girl and nothing in her home has changed.
Maybe she's not "basking" but she has a log on an angle going up and she generally climbs it at night. I just noticed her doing it more.
She's been less active yesterday and today. Staying under her cold hide. But I haven't bothered her.

I hopefully answered all your questions! I'd put a picture but I'm not sure how on here

First off, this is how to post pics: https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...-Post-Pictures

I agree, most snakes hate added lights- and natural room light is just fine.

FYI- as I'm doing right now with my 2 older FL rat snakes that are about to lay their yearly clutches, it's best to facilitate the process by providing your snake a NEST BOX- large enough for her to curl up in with some extra room- with a deep layer of damp sphagnum moss inside, and privacy! It should be on the cool side of the enclosure- replacing the cool hide. Also provide a big enough water bowl for your snake to soak in if she wants.

I can't speak for ball pythons, but my gals NEED to soak after they lay eggs, to rehydrate BEFORE they are ready to eat again. Digestion can go poorly if they're not adequately hydrated- keep that in mind. (If you're wondering what to use for a nest box, you might try a plastic laundry tub or an unused litter box, or a sterilite storage box of the right size.)

[Bogertophis]

Thank you for the reply!
This is extremely embarrassing but I don't know when they were layed last year.. around the time I had hip surgery I'd assume. I was very unwell and left her alone because she's quite large I can't handle her with one hand and I had crutches and a cane for a while 😥
They HATCHED August 28th last year. Inside her normal enclosure on the hot side.
Everyone says congratulations but it was so stressful.. haha I gave them to a local breeder because I was not set up for them. So thank you for your sympathies. And she was unwell for a bit after although she got her appetite back the day they hatched! Which was good.
I had a look at the vet finder. Thank you! The closest is a bit over 2 hrs away..
I want to check her out more but when I lifted her hide yesterday she was pissssed. I have zero experience with aggressive snakes haha so I left her alone. She's been a golden retriever of snakes up until this.

I can see where last year was very awkward for you. I'd guess the eggs were laid in late June of last year- which reinforces what I was getting at- that right now she's stressed because she has no nest box & needs to lay- and THAT can contribute to egg-binding, so get her fixed up to lay eggs A.S.A.P. Seriously.

(re her loss of appetite last year, see my previous post- it's all about hydration hydration hydration!) Your snake is not "aggressive"- she's defensive, and needs a proper nest box.