Quote Originally Posted by Deborah View Post
It is possible females can retain sperm even for much longer then that

Then if he is not sure I don't see how he can say she is gravid, ovy are hard to miss even if you don't catch it at it's peak you can catch the beginning or the end of it.

Not a problem getting an animal in as a rescue from someone who obviously was trying to breed but had no clue is definitely not helping however, should she be gravid (and she probably isn't) you can always let nature take it's course by letting her incubating her clutch. All you would need to worry about is to make sure that she has proper stable temps at about 88/89 and proper constant humidity (Cypress mulch would help in that case).
I didn't understand his conclusion either, but he said that he had had a friend take a look at her for some reason (he never did tell me why) and that his friend is a breeder. He said his friend reached the conclusion that she was probably gravid based on feeling her and looking at her. Perhaps he DID spot an ovulation, but just didn't know what it was? He has no idea if she's done any sheds that could pertain to her ovulation or pre-lay. It's slightly frustrating because I feel so lost. I want to be providing her the best care that I can (she's kept in a nice clean environment now, with fresh water every day, right temps and humidity, had to soak some stuck shed off of her, and I've got her vet appointment for Monday) and I feel like I'm missing a huge piece of information that could affect how she's being handled or cared for. I currently have her on a two-layer substrate. Aspen is my bottom layer, and then Cypress mulch on top. The tub she's in has done a great job of keeping the humidity right, and the heat tape and thermostat regulate the temps (plus I check them every day like 6 times a day with a temp gun). She seems happy, is always curious and alert, so I take that as a good sign that I'm doing right by her. Even her coloring, which was already beautiful, has gotten more vibrant. She's an awful pretty Normal girl, with incredible blushing. I'm hoping to keep her that way! As healthy as possible!

Oh, and if she is gravid, I plan on letting her incubate her clutch. I figure that she knows better than I do what her eggs need, and I can totally maintain temperatures and humidity for her.