At a loss........Need help

[drewlowe]

My female corn stopped eating a little over 2 months ago, since we bred her to my male i assumed she was gravid. Last week she shed so i assumed it was her pre lay shed (i could tell she was gravid), and i've been checking the cage daily for eggs.

Well yesturday when i checked i could tell she was noticible skinner, in my head i was thinking YEA eggs are here. Nope i was wrong!!!! This is were the "loss" comes in. first i check the nesting box, nothing there, then i'm thinking crap she laid out of the box so i hope i get to them before any damage is done. Nope wrong there to. NO eggs to be found ANYWERE in her cage. I know she didn't eat them because she was so skinny and i took her out 2 adult mice and she took them like the girl i knew over 2 months ago (she has a HUGE feeding response).

So i'm sitting there thinking if they're not in the cage at all and she finally ate (she hasn't wanted to eat in the slightest) then were in the hell are the eggs!!!

Any help steering my mind in the right direction would be very appreciated cause i can't think of anything else that could have happend, and i'm at a complete loss. I'm going to give it a few more days and see if she does lay some eggs, but i highly doubt it.

Jamie

P.S. I called my man at work to tell him what was going on and to see if he had any ideas on what could have happend (he had nothing that i didn't think of already). First thing he did when he got home was ask if anyone from ssnakess.com knew, He couldn't belive i didn't make a post about it as soon as i couldn't figure it out (he knows i'm addicted to this site). So here i am a day late posting for help (been a very busy month).

[sapphire_moon]

could she have gotten out layed somewhere outside of her original cage and then went back to the cage knowing food would be there?

[drewlowe]

Originally posted by sapphire_moon
could she have gotten out layed somewhere outside of her original cage and then went back to the cage knowing food would be there?

No, i'm pretty positive of this. She's in a 40 gallon breeder tank with locking lids that are in place at all times (except durning feeding and cleaning). We also live in a basement with tons of hidding spots so i doubt if she escaped she would return to her cage, good suggestion though. I guess i'll know in 2 months if find baby corns through out the basement. LOL


I thought my man was playing a joke on me and found them first and had them in the incubator so i checked both of them and they were empty.

I don't know i'm still at a complete loss, last night i went through the cage again and still NOTHING. I guess the easter bunny needed more eggs for next year and came to my house while i was away. LOL Or maybe i have a very rare snake that lays invisible eggs. LOL I seriously don't know and don't know how to explain this (in my head), What happend to the eggs??? Why did she loose so much weight in one day with no eggs and no poo, and go over 2 months with out eating then all of a sudden she starts back up, it just doesn't make sense!!!

Jamie

[dave68]

sapphire moon I doubt that scenario, I believe she probably ate the eggs, she would still look fairly skinny afterwards because the eggs would just be liquid and wouldn't take up that much space in her gut. That seems to me the only thing that could have happened. Sorry to hear and good luck in the future.
Dave

[vanderkm]

Is it possible that the swelling you were seeing that has suddenly gone down was ovulation rather than egg development. It is often not that obvious in corns and seems she is later than I would expect, but it would explain why she was suddenly smaller than she had been with no eggs present. When I have seen it, the swelling usually is noticable for a day or so.

I would be really suprised to hear of a corn eating eggs or slugs - usually they just abandon them once they have laid and rested. I don't believe that resorption has been documented with fertile eggs, but it is possible that the breedings were not fertile and she resorbed an infertile clutch, but I think even that would be rare - seems they are more likely to lay the slugs.

mary v.

[drewlowe]

I wonder if it is ovulation, but everything was the exact same as last year except for the part of no eggs.

I guess this will be a wait and see type thing, should i be concerned and contact my vet??? I don't want to lose this girl she's one of my many babies, the breeding thing is more of a hobby and intrest.

Jamie

[nicola_boulton]

how very strange, good luck for the future anyway! hope that doesnt hapen to my eggs........... im scared