Holiday snake(s)

[gregmonsta]

Probably more likely. But I do think embryos can be retained for longer than we give this sort of occurrence credit for, especially when sealed in their membranes or amongst partially calcified yolk material.

Well, time has proven me right:

She passed the last of it -some semi-calcified slug material about three weeks ago and now feels completely clear. I've been all over the place but I've finally uploaded pics of what was included in the final delivery.





A calcified/mummified baby. Looks like it was also one of the larger/more developed ones.

[guidofatherof5]

Hoping she's clear now and can get on with normal Thamnophis stuff.

Poor little scrub. It just wasn't meant to be.

[chris-uk]

Hopefully you're right and she's all the cleared out. What are your thoughts on her breeding again?

[gregmonsta]

Hopefully you're right and she's all the cleared out. What are your thoughts on her breeding again?

She's definitely clear now. I've been keeping a very close eye on her and was checking on the movement of the lumps that I perceived whilst handling. I decided to use the 'leave well alone until you notice any real trouble' approach this time (mostly due to loosing Suzy after an op to remove a slug). The blockages moved progressively in direct proportion to her food input.

As for future breeding - I think there's still an element of influence from the situation they were in before (ie - bred too young, limited food input at the time prior to receiving both her and her sister). I'll make no attempts to breed them in the near future for sure. I will monitor them closely this year and will opt for a short brumation (theiy weren't brumated this season, due to their apparent condition/behaviour). If they stay clear in 2014 I may opt to try again in 2015, just to see for sure. But, if I encounter more random 'slugging behaviour', breeding will be off the cards.

[BLUESIRTALIS]

I have had several females throw slugs in the first litter and then throw healthy large litters the next go around! I think there are a lot of things to factor in that could have been the cause wether it be the age of the snakes, if they weren't brumated properly and so on! The main thing is to make sure all the slugs are out and she is eating and gaining weight and appears to be healthy!