egg laying in the water bowl

[bigballs]

a couple of my females are going through their pre-lay shed right now and for the past little while i have seen them coiled up, soaking in the water bowl. i gave them a nest box on the cool side, filled with sphagnum moss and they hide in it as well.

are chances better that they will lay in the nest rather than the bowl?

anyone have a bp that layed in the water bowl??

[Sputnik]

They should leave the dish, if your concerned about it.... put in a small dish.

Never had one lay in a water dish.

[daaangconcepts]

Maybe I read in the VPI book that some females will/could lay in the water bowl if they do not feel secure and to switch out to a smaller water bowl. I think I remember reading that maybe

[bigballs]

cool. i was thinking about switching to smaller bowls soon before they lay. thanks guys.

[Larry Suttles]

Are you sure it is in fact their prelay shed? Assuming your water bowls are on the cool side. That doesn't sound like gravid female behavior. Huh interesting

[jkobylka]

Are you sure it is in fact their prelay shed? Assuming your water bowls are on the cool side. That doesn't sound like gravid female behavior. Huh interesting

good point larry!

[bigballs]

Are you sure it is in fact their prelay shed? Assuming your water bowls are on the cool side. That doesn't sound like gravid female behavior. Huh interesting

you may be right as i have not actually witnessed ovulation but they have been swelling up like crazy and i think i may have missed it. when i look back at my records they both have gone through three sheds since the first introduction of a male. i know it is supposed to be four sheds but i recorded one shed just after the seasonal temperature and photo period drop. so i was counting that as the first out of four sheds but i could be wrong. i put a nest box in each tub just to be safe but i guess if they dont lay within 30 or so after this shed then they still have one more to go right?

what do you think?

[Larry Suttles]

you may be right as i have not actually witnessed ovulation but they have been swelling up like crazy and i think i may have missed it. when i look back at my records they both have gone through three sheds since the first introduction of a male. i know it is supposed to be four sheds but i recorded one shed just after the seasonal temperature and photo period drop. so i was counting that as the first out of four sheds but i could be wrong. i put a nest box in each tub just to be safe but i guess if they dont lay within 30 or so after this shed then they still have one more to go right?

what do you think?

I'm like you in the since that I record all the sheds but the only shed I place any merit on is the post ovulation shed. I start palpating my females late January weekly or bi-weekly and record which females have nice follicular growth. Once I can feel follicles the size of walnuts or golf balls I pretty much know the next shed is going to be the post ovulation shed. If I catch the ovulation in progress great but if not no problem cause I’ll be looking for that post ovulation shed.

Swelling like you mentioned may not be an ovulation but just some great follicular building. Then again it could also be just after the full ovulation either way if I were you I’d palpate the females and see how things feel. If while palpating you feel follicles and that are still very hard then she hasn’t ovulated, if the follicles feel like big water balloons then she has ovulated.

If you don’t already palpate your females it is a very useful and valuable tool when done right. I'm no expert either but I'm getting a better feel for things as time goes on. Here’s a link where Ralph Davis shows how it’s done.

http://www.ralphdavisreptiles.com/ma.../palpating.asp

From what I’ve seen with my females (although my experience is limited) is once they ovulate they are glued to the warmer side of the tub.

If you still unsure just keep checking at that 30 day mark

Hope this helps

[BT41042]

I'm like you in the since that I record all the sheds but the only shed I place any merit on is the post ovulation shed. I start palpating my females late January weekly or bi-weekly and record which females have nice follicular growth. Once I can feel follicles the size of walnuts or golf balls I pretty much know the next shed is going to be the post ovulation shed. If I catch the ovulation in progress great but if not no problem cause I’ll be looking for that post ovulation shed.

Swelling like you mentioned may not be an ovulation but just some great follicular building. Then again it could also be just after the full ovulation either way if I were you I’d palpate the females and see how things feel. If while palpating you feel follicles and that are still very hard then she hasn’t ovulated, if the follicles feel like big water balloons then she has ovulated.

If you don’t already palpate your females it is a very useful and valuable tool when done right. I'm no expert either but I'm getting a better feel for things as time goes on. Here’s a link where Ralph Davis shows how it’s done.

http://www.ralphdavisreptiles.com/ma.../palpating.asp

From what I’ve seen with my females (although my experience is limited) is once they ovulate they are glued to the warmer side of the tub.

If you still unsure just keep checking at that 30 day mark

Hope this helps

What Larry said - My money is on she's still building and hasn't ovulated yet...Palpate her and see what you feel - Good luck...
BT

[bigballs]

well two of my girls just shed and are glowing like crazy so from everything i read im guessing that they have not ovulated but are nearing ovulation and i was wrong about their pre-lay shed. im gonna look out for and record ovulations now and now i know that the next shed is the pre-lay shed.

any tips?

thanks guys!