how do you palpate eggs (follicles)? locking question?

[joshthaxton]

Ok so I have cooled my pair of BPs, and it is my first season breeding. This is my 3rd week of pairing them up, 3 days on, 3 days off. I have been traveling a little bit over the holidays and haven't actually SEEN a lock yet. I know that courting behavior can induce follicle growth in the female. I hate to jump the gun, but I THINK I can see her follicles growing as I have been feeding her small meals for the past 3 weeks and she looks real.... lumpy for lack of a better word. My question is this: How do you palpate for eggs? and If you were in my situation and hadn't actually seen a lock yet, how long would you keep pairing them up before you would say it is safe to stop?

[Stewart_Reptiles]

Here is how to palpate http://www.ralphdavisreptiles.com/ma.../palpating.asp

Keep pairing until you are positive that your female is gravid. (Those are signs to look for http://www.ballpython.ca/gallery/breeding.html )

And good luck on your first season!

[Fearless]

Keep locking them up til you see her ovulate

[Thomas Jones]

Good to see someone else in here from NC. I agree with Deborah and Fearless.
Not all snake quite eating when they are gravid keep offering food and putting the male in. The more weight she has the better the clutch she will have.