gravid question

[drache]

oh Kevin I'm so sorry
that sucks
don't even know what else to say
how are you holding up?

[zooplan]

That are bad news.
I feel with you, it´s the worst case a gravidity can end.
She hold her babies to long.

[adamanteus]

I'm so sorry, Kevin.

[Jack Neary]

Kev,
So very sorry to hear this terrible outcome after all your eager waiting and anticipation... Wonder what causes this to happen? Can anyone answer?
Hang in there, buddy!
Jack

[adamanteus]

Wonder what causes this to happen? Can anyone answer?

I guess no one wants to hear this, but it could well be that the stress of capture causes the gravid female to delay giving birth, while she seeks a means of escape. The babies, once over-due, die inside their mother.

[anji1971]

It's really hard to say why the babies stayed inside her too long.
I caught Chili while she was gravid, and since I didn't really know she was, I didn't pamper the poor thing at all. I had her out for photo sessions, swim time, all the handling Deejay was used to. The night before she gave birth, I had her out in the yard climbing the mimosa, and playing in the grass. And she wasn't too happy when I scooped her up to go back inside. Believe me -- I stressed that snake out good.
And she had a perfectly healthy little family.
So who really knows???

[zooplan]

I guess no one wants to hear this, but it could well be that the stress of capture causes the gravid female to delay giving birth, while she seeks a means of escape. The babies, once over-due, die inside their mother.

That´s probably right.
I had a bad breeding season as well and I´m still wondering why, even after careful consideration I don´t know the reason, but I´m sure it´s me who is liable for it.
If I could find the cause I would be happy to change it, but from my point of view it was all the same conditions as the years before.

[infernalis]

Anji, so glad you brought that up, very often someone has a completely unexpected litter of babies, and mostly they are fine??

The first time I experienced birthing, it was Xena, and no one knew she was gravid until that morning I woke up to a whole bunch of baby snakes.

There is a lot of possible reasons, over handling may well be one of them.

Since snakes are all individuals, they each handle stress in a different way.

[Stefan-A]

A related question: Can snakes re-absorb their embryos?

[zooplan]

yes, but mostly they do not.