Another breeding question

[lunasjy]

I suppose this time of year the forums become surrounded by breeding questions... but I have one anyway.

Today I noticed that my female may be ovulating. I do not have a picture as she seems unusually cranky, but near the last portion of her body, there is a small but noticeable lump. But through all my research, shouldn't there have been other signs before her ovulation, like cool seeking and "lumping up" and "the glow before they go"? I haven't noticed any other changes in her other then her refusal to eat this Wednesday. Or do I have the order wrong? I have been using the Breeding Pictorial by Markus Jayne Ball Pythons and it seems my female has skipped some steps. There was her quick locking with my male, then a couple months later she fatter only in the last portion of her body. She still seeks the hot spot of the tub and has barely moved from there in weeks.

So is she possibly ovulating, or am I just reading too much in to my excitement? If you guys need, I can take a picture later when she seems to be in a better mood, but right now she is in a striking pose and really do not want to be tagged by 3000g of muscle.

[lunasjy]

And another couple quick questions. Is it okay for me to handle her if she is ovulating. I want to take a picture but my snake room does not have a ceiling light and it is too dark to take a picture in there. And if this is an ovulation, do I continue to add the male? If so, up to what point?

[Stewart_Reptiles]

Today I noticed that my female may be ovulating. I do not have a picture as she seems unusually cranky, but near the last portion of her body,there is a small but noticeable lump.

An ovulation is unmistakable, your BP will look like she swallowed a football, not a small lump and not located in the last portion of her body but in the mid section

But through all my research, shouldn't there have been other signs before her ovulation, like cool seeking and "lumping up" and "the glow before they go"?

Yes you should.

And another couple quick questions. Is it okay for me to handle her if she is ovulating

Briefly for maintenance yes it's ok but you want to limit stress and leave her alone until she lays.

And if this is an ovulation, do I continue to add the male?

No if she is ovulating she is done and will lay eggs in about 45 days

[lunasjy]

An ovulation is unmistakable, your BP will look like she swallowed a football, not a small lump and not located in the last portion of her body but in the mid section

Its not like the very end of her... more like a 6ish inches from the tip of her tail, up to about a foot or more long. I haven't taken her out so I haven't been able to get a very good look at her. I will take a picture when I can.

[lunasjy]

Okay so never mind. After pulling her out to take a picture, there was nothing to see. It may have been how she was laying that made me think she was ovulating but as soon as I took her out her body looked very normal.