Breeding Progress

[Cazador]

Congrats Stefan. It'll be about three weeks before you'll be able to feel lumps (other than food), and about 100 days before they're born (range: about 90-120). I'm happy for you, but you might consider replacing the cigars with "gummy worms." Cheers,

Rick

[Stefan-A]

I can pretty much guarantee that I'll feel teeth before I feel any lumps. Not that I'm scared of being bit, I'm rather curious about what it feels like, but if it stresses the female that much, then it seems to me like it would be better to leave her alone.

So if my calculations are correct, there might be babies in August (100 days should be around mid-august). Talking parietalis, what time of year would they normally give birth in the wild? Let's say in the northernmost parts of their range.

[adamanteus]

I'm rather curious about what it feels like.

That would depend how tough the skin on your hands is Stefan (presuming you get bitten on the hand). I find that if I don't see the bite, I don't know I've been bitten. But my hands, because of my job, are .... shall we say "leathery"? I guess if I were bitten on the nose it would be a different matter!

[Stefan-A]

Off topic again, but how easy are the babies to feed? Do they recognize pieces of fish, worms or mice as food, or do they need their food to be moving in order to recognize it as something edible?

Just so that I know what to expect in case the mating was successful.

[adamanteus]

Like adults, they're all individuals, with individual characteristics, but generally they'll take food pretty readily, it doesn't need to be moving.

[Cazador]

I think scent is even more important than sight, but motion is an added stimulant. Like James says, some babies will eat without any trouble, and others may refuse it for varying amounts of time.

[Stefan-A]

And she's up to 132 grams (+9 grams in a month), haven't felt her for lumps and the pregnancy doesn't show yet. Has refused to eat anything except worms for a few weeks, took her first (small) fish in a good while on sunday.

The question that you can always read between the lines is: "Is something wrong?"

[Stefan-A]

How soon can you see if the snake is gravid?

[reptileparadise]

The best way to tell, is by looking at her eating behaviour. If things get really wild and she just doesnt stop...she might be pregnant. If she starts to look like a sausage, there's a good chance she is pregnant. If you see her under the heat lamp, with her 'belly up'...she is pregnant.

Good luck!

[Stefan-A]

She's become a really picky eater, which I guess isn't a sign. Only earthworms will do, but she eats as many of them as I can throw in there, Earlier she eould eat as many fish and mice as she could, she's a real bottomless pit. And she has spent the last few weeks mostly under the substrate below the heat lamp (it's about 40 degrees on the surface), even when the ambient temperature has been above optimal.

Aren't there any garter pregnancy tests?