I need suggestions! Leaving gravid female...

[EasternGirl]

Hi everyone. I need suggestions. Steve and Mike have been very helpful so far. :). I am having surgery next Wednesday. I will be gone all day Wednesday and most of Thursday. As most of you already know, Cee Cee is most likely very gravid...looking like she could pop any day now. I will be leaving her in the care of my mother and son...both who do not handle snakes. Also a problem, Cee Cee bites anyone she does not know. I am worried that she may have the babies while I am gone. I am trying to work out the best plan so that my mother could get the babies out of Cee Cee's enclosure and into another enclosure if she has the babies while I am gone. I am sure that you can imagine all of the things that could go wrong with this considering my mother has never picked up a snake before and is a bit frightened of them and that Cee Cee will probably be in attack mode. Any suggestions would be much appreciated. Please see the last few posts of my thread for the beginning of this discussion: http://www.thamnophis.com/forum/general-talk/9846-marnies-snakes.html

Thanks!

[Natrix]

Marnie, can you not transfere her to a RUB with a lockable lid just for a short while until you get home? it's only going to be for a couple of days? Hope all goes well in Hospital. ;)

[EasternGirl]

Well...here are my two issues with that: One, getting holes properly put into the container for ventilation. I do not have experience doing that, nor do I have a soldering iron. Now, Steve and Mike told me I could heat up a nail and make holes with that...and I could try that...but my second issue is...Cee Cee is very nervous by nature and particular about her surroundings. She gets stressed very easily and has respiratory problems as well. I am concerned that moving her from her normal, comfortable surroundings that she is familiar with will stress her too much in her condition...and possibly add to her respiratory problems. Oh dear...I'm getting a headache! Thank you for the well wishes, Rod. :) Yes...I will be gone from early Wednesday morning until about midday Thursday if all goes as planned.

[BUSHSNAKE]

all i would do is take the male out and tell your family not to bother her and let nature take its coarse. They will be perfectly fine with mama snake

[EasternGirl]

Do the babies need a moist hide? Could they drown in Cee Cee's water dish? Is it okay for them to be in the aspen? Sorry for all the questions. I don't know nothin' bout birthin no babies! :D

[guidofatherof5]

A shallow dish would be better and give you more peace of mind.

[EasternGirl]

Thanks Steve...should I put a moist hide in there for them as well?

[guidofatherof5]

Thanks Steve...should I put a moist hide in there for them as well?

I don't think it could hurt anything.

[kueluck]

Do you have a vet office that can board her during this time? You would think they would know what to do if she gives birth during that time.

[mikem]

i think as joe and steve suggested, just a shallow water dish, perhaps a moist hide and just leave them be. she'll take care of the rest. :)

[EasternGirl]

I do have a vet...but they would charge a fortune and then chances are she wouldn't have any babies. So...I think I will just make some preparations like suggested and hope she doesn't have those babies...and if she does, let nature take it's course.

[katach]

If you don't have a shallow water dish, you could put a rock in the middle of the water dish. They can climb on it and they won't drown. I did that with my babies last summer, it worked very well. There are pics in this thread.
http://www.thamnophis.com/forum/breeding/8994-willows-babies.html

[EasternGirl]

That's a great idea Kat, thanks. I just got word from my doctor today that if my surgery goes well and I feel up to it, he will let me go home from the hospital that night...I won't have to stay overnight. So...hopefully, I will only be away for the day. But in the morning before I leave...I will put the rock in Cee Cee's water dish. I will take Seeley out the night before...he has been sleeping in a separate enclosure. Thanks everyone for all of the advice! :)

[katach]

Good luck with your surgery. I'll be thinking if you.