Solana - Our Scaleless Sunglow Motley Corn

[Bogertophis]

Gotta wear shades.... I do love orange snakes- like the Everglades rat snakes I used to have.

[dakski]

Solana laid eggs again. She got 11 out and 2 were stuck.

We rushed to the emergency vet at Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine yesterday and between the time we handed her off and the time the vet saw her, the eggs had passed. I guess the commotion got her to lay them. Who knows? The vet examined her, did an x-ray to make sure everything was out, and gave her some fluids.

She was a little jumpy today but I did check on her briefly and she seems alert, with good color, and healthy eyes and tongue flicks. I plan to leave her alone for a bit and then offer food.

This is the third year she has laid eggs without ever meeting, let alone breeding with, a male snake. The vet we saw yesterday said we could discuss spaying her, but it was unclear how viable an option that is. I made an appointment with my local reptile vet (who I trust) and I am going to be speaking with Tufts and potentially the vet who saved Yafe's life (with Tufts) when he came to us with an RI.

Anyone know about or have experience with this?

I do not want to risk a problem and she seems to have trouble laying eggs. The first year, 3 were stuck, she went septic, and we had to puncture the eggs to try to get them to pass. The vet gave her a 10% shot of making it and she did. Last year she laid eggs without issue. This year, somewhere in between. She is 7 years old and I do not want to lose her this way. I also do not want to put her through a surgery if I do not have to.

Any thoughts are welcome.

[Homebody]

I'm so sorry you keep having to go through this. If she's going to keep laying, maybe you should give her a nesting box. Maybe, then, she'll be able to complete laying on her own.

[dakski]

I'm so sorry you keep having to go through this. If she's going to keep laying, maybe you should give her a nesting box. Maybe, then, she'll be able to complete laying on her own.

I'll look into that. Thank you for the kind words.

[Bogertophis]

I agree with Homebody...all the snakes I've bred & the ones that laid eggs without ever breeding all seemed to do much better with nest boxes provided at least a week or more in advance of the actual laying of eggs. They search for a safe place in the wild to lay them, & it seems their instincts want much the same in captivity. I gave them very damp sphagnum moss & privacy (covering half their tanks)- they appeared to love being in the moss well prior to laying, & since it's thought they can absorb moisture through their skin, I do believe the hydration helped the process of egg laying, as did the feeling of safety.

I've only ever had to have one snake "spayed"- it was my first Trans Pecos rat snake many years ago- & she had an ectopic pregnancy (the eggs were outside the normal place) & she survived the spay very well. My vet at the time was in the Palm Springs area- she had both a private clinic & also worked for the Living Desert Zoo & Botanical Gardens there. That may be worth considering with your corn snake- I'm sorry you're having to deal with this, but it's not so rare, & you'll have to decide whether or not to risk the surgery or let her keep laying eggs & hoping none get stuck. All the best-

[dakski]

I agree with Homebody...all the snakes I've bred & the ones that laid eggs without ever breeding all seemed to do much better with nest boxes provided at least a week or more in advance of the actual laying of eggs. They search for a safe place in the wild to lay them, & it seems their instincts want much the same in captivity. I gave them very damp sphagnum moss & privacy (covering half their tanks)- they appeared to love being in the moss well prior to laying, & since it's thought they can absorb moisture through their skin, I do believe the hydration helped the process of egg laying, as did the feeling of safety.

I've only ever had to have one snake "spayed"- it was my first Trans Pecos rat snake many years ago- & she had an ectopic pregnancy (the eggs were outside the normal place) & she survived the spay very well. My vet at the time was in the Palm Springs area- she had both a private clinic & also worked for the Living Desert Zoo & Botanical Gardens there. That may be worth considering with your corn snake- I'm sorry you're having to deal with this, but it's not so rare, & you'll have to decide whether or not to risk the surgery or let her keep laying eggs & hoping none get stuck. All the best-

Bogertophis,

Did you notice any difference is your Trans Pecos after the spay behavior wise? How long was the recovery?

Luckily, I have some time to research and make a decision. It will be a while before she produces eggs again, which I assume she will. It has been like clockwork the last 3 years.

Thank you!

[Bogertophis]

Bogertophis,

Did you notice any difference is your Trans Pecos after the spay behavior wise? How long was the recovery?

Luckily, I have some time to research and make a decision. It will be a while before she produces eggs again, which I assume she will. It has been like clockwork the last 3 years.

Thank you!

She seemed fine. I really don't remember (after all these years, lol) exactly how long her recovery took, but I was pleasantly surprised at how well she did & that I had a vet with such great skills.

You seem to have had good luck in that department too, but it's up to you, & it's a tough call for sure. I've had my share of snakes that insist on laying eggs for years* & I really wish they came with an "off" switch. (*And by then, I was not in California- near that vet- any longer, or I might have been making the same decision you're trying to make now. Egg binding is no fun.)

After the novelty wears off, an unbred snake that insists on laying eggs every year is stressful, as you never know when a snake will produce one or more unusually-large eggs that they need help with (whether the eggs are fertile or not)- I can remember having to help a large gopher snake lay eggs when one jumbo-sized egg got stuck... Luckily "we" got that one out, & then all the rest followed easily, but she got too tired & without help for that one big egg, it likely wouldn't have ended well (like in the wild).

[dakski]

Solana had her post lay shed today, and aside from needing some help with the shed (mostly a soak), she is doing fine.

I plan to feed her tomorrow.

We also plan to see the vet next week to discuss spaying. This is not the vet who suggested it but is my "local" reptile vet. I am curious what he thinks.

In the meantime, enjoy the blinding orange that is SOLANA!

[Homebody]

...gotta wear shades .