Pre-egg laying behaviour in the grey rat snake????

[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] [ The Rat Snake Forum ] [ FAQ ]

Posted by Justin P Clapp on October 29, 1999 at 06:02:22:

I was given a pair of E.o.spilosa six weeks ago. They had been caged together in a very dry vivarium. The male (4ft) was very dehydrated and weak and after housing seperately took two weeks to get feeding again and he is now eating like mad. The female (4.5ft) was also very hungry eating three adult mice in 15 minutes the day I got her and one a day for the next week. She ate heavily for the following four weeks then abruptly stopped eating but remained very active, perhaps even more than before. reading some info at kingsnake.com, it seems that she is displaying classic pre-egg laying behaviour. I put in a box of moist potting soil and she immediately buried into it an spent last night churning it around. The was no pre-lay shed although both snakes may have shed just before i got them so I am wondering whether I am seeing a phantom pregnancy or the real thing. Is it possible that she was egg bound when I got her but had no site to lay and so has held on to them until now. can anyone tell me whether they think my guesses might be corect. any advice or suggestions would be gratefully recieved.

Follow Ups:

Re: Pre-egg laying behaviour in the grey rat snake???? Jean Lobel 10/29/99 (1)
- Re: Pre-egg laying behaviour in the grey rat snake???? justin p clapp 10/30/99 (0)

Post a Followup

Name:
E-Mail:

Subject:

Comments:
: I was given a pair of E.o.spilosa six weeks ago. They had been caged together in a very dry vivarium. The male (4ft) was very dehydrated and weak and after housing seperately took two weeks to get feeding again and he is now eating like mad. The female (4.5ft) was also very hungry eating three adult mice in 15 minutes the day I got her and one a day for the next week. She ate heavily for the following four weeks then abruptly stopped eating but remained very active, perhaps even more than before. reading some info at kingsnake.com, it seems that she is displaying classic pre-egg laying behaviour. I put in a box of moist potting soil and she immediately buried into it an spent last night churning it around. The was no pre-lay shed although both snakes may have shed just before i got them so I am wondering whether I am seeing a phantom pregnancy or the real thing. Is it possible that she was egg bound when I got her but had no site to lay and so has held on to them until now. can anyone tell me whether they think my guesses might be corect. any advice or suggestions would be gratefully recieved.

Optional Link URL:
Link Title:
Optional Image URL:

[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] [ The Rat Snake Forum ] [ FAQ ]