Update on my pregnant Eastern

[Greg'sGarters]

This is where I will keep you guys updated on my pregnant eastern female. I caught her myself. I am pretty sure she is pregnant because when I caught her, she had a sperm plug in her cloaca. She is a nice indigo blue with a VERY DEFINED stripe, that makes her look a little like a radix.

[Greg'sGarters]

Today, she ate unscented pinkies on her own for the first time. I threw one in the tank, went on the forum, looked back in the tank 5 minutes later to find her with the pinkie half swallowed. Mice are rare in the area she is from. She seems to be adjusting to captivity VERY well.

[guidofatherof5]

Today, she ate unscented pinkies on her own for the first time. I threw one in the tank, went on the forum, looked back in the tank 5 minutes later to find her with the pinkie half swallowed. Mice are rare in the area she is from. She seems to be adjusting to captivity VERY well.


What planet is she from?

[Greg'sGarters]

I caught her at an abandoned rock quarry that I'm turning into my own turtle breeding facility lol. There is a marsh and a pond there. I catch Garters and Ribbons there. The pond is perfect for snapping turtle breeding. No one goes there except for me.

[Invisible Snake]

Post a picture of this preggo garter

[Selkielass]

Sounds cool!
I've seen heard that some of species will mate in the fall and hold the sperm thru brumation, for use the following spring.

Will you brumate her to simulate what would happen in the wild?

[Greg'sGarters]

Sounds cool!
Will you brumate her to simulate what would happen in the wild?

No, she's being kept warm. She had some weight put on her for brumation, so it's hard to see the bulge in her lower third half. But she will be kept separate from the rest of my snakes until there are babies in her cage!

[Greg'sGarters]

This girl is crazy! She ate 4 pinkies and 2 salmon fillets (both about as wide as a nickel and as high as a dime) and is still hungry. I'm not going to brumate her this year but I will put a brumated male in with her next season.

[Greg'sGarters]

She is going into her shedding cycle, I placed shedding box in her tank. I mixed 2 cups of water with a tablespoon of reptile shedding aid, and soaked sphagnum moss in that mixture and rung it out leaving as much of the mixture in the moss as possible without it dripping (moderately damp). Still not 100% sure if she's pregnant, but this shed will either signal her being ready to give birth or her being ready to breed (depending on whether or not she is indeed pregnant). Either way is good though.

[Greg'sGarters]

She's been getting fatter and fatter. Not sure if she's gravid still, but there is a brumated male in with her. So far, he hasn't seemed too interested in her. She is going into the blue. If she is gravid, I should find some babies in her tank in about 2-3 weeks. Can't wait! If she is gravid, then she should give birth soon, if not, her shedding should get the male interested in her. If everything goes as planned, it is a win-win situation!

[guidofatherof5]

If she's not gravid she shouldn't be getting fatter and fatter. Is she still eating? Pooping? Does the poop look normal?

[Steveo]

Have you been tracking her weight?

[Greg'sGarters]

If she's not gravid she shouldn't be getting fatter and fatter. Is she still eating? Pooping? Does the poop look normal?

Yes, she has been eating, has still been pooping normal poops. She just has been eating A LOT more lately. She might have just put on a few extra pounds.


Have you been tracking her weight?

Yes, I have.

[chris-uk]

Yes, she has been eating, has still been pooping normal poops. She just has been eating A LOT more lately. She might have just put on a few extra pounds.



Yes, I have.

What sort of weekly weight gain have you been seeing?

[Greg'sGarters]

What sort of weekly weight gain have you been seeing?

Little by little, anywhere from a gram to 5 grams a week.

[Stefan-A]

Little by little, anywhere from a gram to 5 grams a week.
This is what I saw with a gravid T. elegans vagrans:

http://koti.mbnet.fi/thamnoph/photos/snakes10/preggostats-feb28-2010.jpg

[Greg'sGarters]

This is what I saw with a gravid T. elegans vagrans:

http://koti.mbnet.fi/thamnoph/photos/snakes10/preggostats-feb28-2010.jpg


This chart was EXTREMELY helpful, thank you Stefan!