Is she gravid??

[Ameivaboy]

i just brought home a puget sound garter from my work because i think she might be gravid but im not sure.. she is definatly thick for a garter her size and i can feel at least 2 marble-ish type lumps about 4.5 to 5 inches from her vent total svl on the snake is about 19 inches so any thoughts would be appreciated, and ill try to get a pic when i can

[adamanteus]

I wouldn't really like to comment too much, without seeing a picture, but it sounds quite likely. Then again it could be any number of things. Photos would help.

[LeapinLeo]

yes to be certain we need photots. I think that it would be gravid.

[garterking]

i just brought home a puget sound garter from my work because i think she might be gravid but im not sure.. she is definatly thick for a garter her size and i can feel at least 2 marble-ish type lumps about 4.5 to 5 inches from her vent total svl on the snake is about 19 inches so any thoughts would be appreciated, and ill try to get a pic when i can

Buddy, If you confirm that puget sound is gravid, you're going to get A LOT of mail from people here looking into taking those little ones off your hands. And just for the record, I want to be number one on that list. Keep us all posted.

Mike

[Cazador]

Like previously said, it could be gravid, but it might have just recently eaten two small mice, toads, etc. If the bumps don't go away in 2-3 days, the chances are much greater for it being gravid. Good luck,

Rick

[Ameivaboy]

i had thought about possibly being undigested meals but she hasnt been fed in about a week and if she had been im sure she would have regurged from me messing with her : ^ )

anyways ill see if i can borrow a camera tomarrow for a pic, but just a couple quick ?'s how long would you guys say is the normal gestation for sirtalis and it's subspecies?? also does anyone have a pic of the "plug" that females have when they are no longer receptive to mating?? thanks


oh yes any prefferred angles to get for better guesses on her gravidity (is that a word? ) let me know thanks

[Cazador]

Sorry, I don't have a decent picture of the plug. I've tried, though and will probably have the chance to try again soon :D. I took my blue T. ordinoides out of brumation about a week ago, and the male is all over the female. He's like her shadow. It's not full-on mating, yet, but I think he's gonna pop once she starts to shed! Then I'll try to get a better picture of the plug. BTW, you know it only lasts 1-3 days, right?

I think side-views might be most helpful, but it can be difficult to tell overfed snakes from gravid ones on pictures. It's easiest to confirm by feeling her stomach/abdomen. Put your thumb on her back, and your fingers underneath her. Then give gentle pressure so that you can feel about 3/16" into her as she crawls back into her cage. You should be able to feel the lumps if she's gravid, but she has to be fairly relaxed.

Rick

[Ameivaboy]

ok here's the pics


http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h8/Ameivaboy/DSC02258.jpg

and here's where i am holding the first of two separate lumps

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h8/Ameivaboy/DSC02260.jpg


I also checked my origional female as i felt the lumps on her too

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h8/Ameivaboy/DSC02271.jpg

here I'm holding her where the first of three distinct lumps occur

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h8/Ameivaboy/DSC02269.jpg

[adamanteus]

Kevin, the snake in the first picture certainly looks gravid to me. It's hard to be sure, but from what you describe it sounds like she's gravid. You'll soon know for sure! Good luck.

[Cazador]

Yes. She looks gravid to me, too, but not ready to deliver right away :).

Rick

[suzoo]

Hi Ameivaboy! Congrads! (Oh, I mean, ya, I think she's gravid)!

[Ameivaboy]

cool, thanks for the responses everyone ,maybe ill bring home a couple more lumpy females while we still have em : ^ D well, maybe not already have a ton of mouths to feed already but it is tempting
here's a couple extra pix

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h8/Ameivaboy/DSC02199.jpg
http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h8/Ameivaboy/DSC02162.jpg

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h8/Ameivaboy/DSC02256.jpg

[Cazador]

Nice pictures. I see that based on the scale count from the second picture, you have a T.s. pickeringii. Ten dorsal scales to the center line, so 19 total dorsal scale rows. She's a beauty!

Rick

[Ameivaboy]

Thanks, her and the male were hand picked from a lot of about 50 that we received from Bob Macken (which i saw a post here of him having sick snakes,but havent noticed any we received in poor health) the newest female is also from Macken ina second shipment we received, only problem i have noticed with her is a bit missing from her tail, if I have babies I plan on selling them as Captive Born as opposed to Captive Bred even though Bob says they are captive bred im not sure if i really beleive that as who has that many adult snakes to just sell with very few actual babies????

[Snaky]

You're very lucky if they come from Bob, after reading through quite some other stories here. Well to me she also looks gravid and she's a beauty, good luck with her:)

[Cazador]

Holy cow Kevin. You received over 50 snakes from him? You must work in a pet store or something? The optimist in me hopes that some of the pressure and feedback that Garterking, myself, and many others put on him might have made an impression and done some good. The skeptic in me says that once trust is lost, it is hard to regain.

Please keep us informed about the health of your large shipment over time, so we'll be able to gauge whether his snakes have received adequate treatment or not. Hopefully, 2007 will be a better year for his snakes & customers :confused:. Best of luck,

Rick

[Ameivaboy]

pet store? close.... i work for a wholesaler/exporter as my "fun" job (my regular full time job is in the digital imaging field)

I wish I could see the snakes long term for observation but being in the business we are in most animals arent with us very long, but in daily visual inspections/watering/feeding times I really havent noticed anything too disconcerning about the animals in question (if I had I wouldnt have gotten some for my personal collection) What problems have people had with his snakes?? None of ours have been emaciated/dehydrated, had blisters, or any other visual signs of something wrong, So if someone has an issue with one of his snakes I'd certainly liek to hear about it to double check the animals we have for similar conditions, though I am skeptical to them being captive bred still and i would bet some if not all have internal parasites (but i have not seen any external ones) so yea, that's all i have for now : ^ )