Updated picture of gravid Orochi

[zirliz]

here's a updated picture I took of her yesterday
http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r314/zirliz/My%20pets/DSCF3289.jpg


I've a question how far along does she look ?

I'll have more pictures of her soon

[zirliz]

http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r314/zirliz/DSCF3288.jpg

oh meant to ask also what sort of thing should I have for nesting ? I was told a box but others say to put some moss of whatevr in her fav hide.

any advice would be great

[guidofatherof5]

Looking good.
Usually they get some good scale spread when they're pretty far along.
I've never birthed babies on newspaper so I can't say if it would be a good substrate for that.

[kibakiba]

Maybe you could lightly mist the newspaper, so it's not dry enough to dry out the babies. Newspaper here absorbs water really fast. Make sure to keep it really clean, also, since dirtiness can cause scale rot if you keep it damp and dirty for too long. Don't over mist, just a light spray around the tank would do... Perhaps every other day a week before she gives birth. If you see her having contractions, that's when you know she'll be giving birth soon.

[zirliz]

what's the common substrate used for birthing?

what's good scale spread mean?

[guidofatherof5]

what's the common substrate used for birthing?

That will vary for each person. I use compressed aspen pellets all the time.
Newborns are moved to tubs with damp paper towel for a few days.
Just to make sure they are well hydrated.
Stay way from any substrate that might cause newborns to stick to it, becoming trapped in the egg membrane and then dehydrated.



what's good scale spread mean?

The only time I've ever heard this term used was to describe a gravid female with delivery not many days off.
It's a good thing.;)

[kibakiba]

Scale spread is when the scales are spread apart because of the gravid snake being so big that the scales aren't tightly together anymore.

[zirliz]

When do they normally stop eating she was eating a lot and now refuses food :(
I've read they do this when it becomes uncomfortable to eat (or swallow or something),

[guidofatherof5]

When do they normally stop eating she was eating a lot and now refuses food :(
I've read they do this when it becomes uncomfortable to eat (or swallow or something),

They also go off food before they deliver.
Many of my radixes deliver within 36 hours of refusing food.

[kibakiba]

When Mama was gravid, she went off food once a month before birthing, and went back on food a week and a half after that.
She ate the day she gave birth, too.

[zirliz]

do you think she looks like she's a month or more along?

only ask because that's when all the interest with her happened early March but maybe I missed something before that if she's further along.

Also she became massive (too fast from what I've read but then maybe she ovulating) ?

I'm just trying to figure when she may be due,

Also what do contractions in a snake look like?

[guidofatherof5]

How far along is your snake. It would only be a guess. If she's as big as you say, delivery could be anytime now.
This video should give you an idea about contractions.
y6WeE_EklAw

[ConcinusMan]

My concinnus girls usually eat like crazy throughout pregnancy and then suddenly start refusing to eat in the late stages. They usually fast for the last 10-14 days before giving birth. Sometimes the fast continues for a week or so after giving birth too.

Your checkered girl is definitely late stage. Could be days from now or up to another 3-4 weeks but certainly not longer than that. You'll usually notice a huge load shift. A lot of her bulk will move toward the tail several days or several hours before the birthing starts. This is what I believe is the mother severing her connection to the membranes. Up until that time, there was gas exchange going on through blood vessels farther up in her body and so the eggs were fully anchored to her in this manner. The shift southward is about when this connection is severed and the eggs are able to move freely downward. You'll get warning. You'll see the shift, and you'll see her pushing. Believe me, when she starts contracting, you'll know it. It will look like she's trying to push out golf balls.:p

[zirliz]

wow that's interesting, she is not fasting yet as she ate 3 pinkies but she seems more nervous than she was, actively moving around more a bit also.

I think she might be heading into a shed (looks that way to me anyway) must get more pictures of her.

[zirliz]

update on her behaviour lately today she was really active as she has being for a while now, she keeps moving around.

She did this weird shudder thing twice or so,

anyway should I be worried or expecting little snakes anytime soon?

Also she did shed but not fully it's off her head but parts are still in places, she never had a problem before :( poor girl

[kibakiba]

Make sure to help her with those extra pieces of skin.
The few days before Mama gave birth she was extremely skittish and active.

What do you mean by shudder?

[zirliz]

I tired even got some off but she slithered away on me and I was afraid to stress her out, I tired to get her to move through a piece of damp tissue but she moved away really quickly and after that she would not let me near her :(

She is really nervous these last few days whereas before she even let me touch her head she was that docile.

I've looked for a box to make one of these cheap shed boxes someone on a thread I made about this problem, but I can't find anything big enough that i can leave in the tank.

It's odd though she never had any problems nothing changed condition wise,

[guidofatherof5]

Could just be a change in her. It happens.

[zirliz]

Make sure to help her with those extra pieces of skin.
The few days before Mama gave birth she was extremely skittish and active.

What do you mean by shudder?


I mean it was the sort of jerky movement an animal makes when it sneezes, only did it twice, she ate again today, I still worry about her.

she seemed less skittish today also,

[zirliz]

Hi this afternoon I noticed more movement from her today, she looks like she's finally in her last stages it seems to me she is pushing her lumps etc down wards her tail region.

Must get a picture, yesterday she was eating she had 3 pinkies,