Living Gems Breeding Update

[Snakesitter]

Forecasting babies is a lot like projecting stocks. You spend lots of time trying to add up individual signs like courting, swollen bodies, hugging heat, and refusing food into a grand payoff, but in the end mother nature may leave you with nothing in the bank.

Living Gems has three females we hope will be mothers for the current season: Agate, Almandine, and Malachite. As of this past month-end, we finally got one of the middle positive indicators -- in this case, weight -- from all three girls.


Agate
Agate, a four-year-old early bullseye line, was paired with Franklin (formerly Kiel) from March 4 to July 31. Numerous courting attempts by the male were witnessed, including almost two weeks in a shared water bowl. At the start of breeding, Agate weighed 2395 grams. During breeding, she averaged 2145 grams. As of the end of breeding, however, her weight jumped up to 2241 grams -- a 71-gram increase from the prior month, and coming more than four weeks after her last meal. Here she is in three photographs taken last Wednesday, just before her monthly feeding:

Huddled in the Corner
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7110/7723057514_bce555c039_b.jpg

Closeup of Her Back Half
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8284/7723058304_355040ee39_b.jpg

Exploring the Side Wall
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8286/7723058882_91411837c9_b.jpg

She is currently in shed.


Almandine
Almandine, a four-year-old vibrant orange/red girl with reduced head stripes, was paired with Scarface from March 4 to August 15 (in other words, I’m giving them two last weeks). So far only one cohabitation has been witnessed. At the start of breeding, Almandine weighed 2357 grams. During breeding, she averaged 2205 grams. As of the end of breeding, however, her weight jumped up to 2257 grams -- a 45-gram increase from the prior month, and coming four weeks after her last meal. Here she is in three photographs taken last Wednesday, just before her monthly feeding:

Coiled in Her Hide
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8427/7723090018_bc25b71d32_b.jpg

Exploring the Back Wall
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7276/7723090626_45e4089225_b.jpg

Moving Her Belly From Hide to Water
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7277/7723091082_91c35ccae8_b.jpg

She too is currently in shed.


Malachite
Malachite, a four-year-old with intense color and perfect side crescents, was paired with Picasso from March 4 to May 31 (the male was pulled early due to a 250-gram weight loss; he has since recovered 120 grams). While no breeding attempts were witnessed, he had to work off that weight somehow. At the start of breeding, Malachite weighed 2407 grams. During breeding, she averaged 2338 grams. As of the end of this last month, however, her weight jumped up to 2367 grams -- a 40-gram increase from the prior month, and coming four weeks after her last meal. Here she is in two photographs taken last Wednesday, just before her monthly feeding:

Coiled in Her Hide
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8424/7723121060_5d49116a68_b.jpg

Exploring the Back Wall
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7246/7723121476_5c9bd90839_b.jpg

She is the sole breeder female that is not currently in shed.


While not definitive proof by any means, I’ll take a minor sign any day of the year. Our fingers are crossed for several late-year litters!

Thank you for reading,

[millertime89]

Best of luck Cliff!
Maybe you can answer this for me. If a mother has stopped eating, how are they still putting on weight? Is it mostly from water? Because presumably the babies are getting their nutrition from her (after she digests the food), weight would stay consistent or drop except for her intake of water.

[Snakesitter]

Thank you!

Darn good question, and I'm not sure that anyone has a proven answer. Despite the fact you would think the babies would "cancel out" with Mom's loss, it does not...she actively puts on around 10% of her weight, in my experience...and then loses as much as 40% at birth (between both babies and birthing materials)!

[Rainbowsrus]

Thank you!

Darn good question, and I'm not sure that anyone has a proven answer. Despite the fact you would think the babies would "cancel out" with Mom's loss, it does not...she actively puts on around 10% of her weight, in my experience...and then loses as much as 40% at birth (between both babies and birthing materials)!

While not proven scientifically, IMO it has to be water gain. Where else could it come from? Mass does not spontaneously increase at this level. And if you've ever held a gravid BRB you would right away notice her belly is squishy soft. Even if stuffed like a sausage. When babies are born there is a pretty fair amount of slimy (amniotic?) fluid in each sack. If properly kept, a BRB always has access to all the water they want so........

[Snakesitter]

It probably is...but it'd sure make an interesting study!

[Trollbie]

I am excited!

[snake man12]

Good luck and beautiful snakes.

[Snakesitter]

Thank you both -- me too!!!

[Snakesitter]

Update: Agate just shed yesterday (if she's gravid, this is probably the POS), and Scarface has spending lots of time in Almandine's hide. There are going to be some very late-year litters at Living Gems....

[Rainbowsrus]

Update: Agate just shed yesterday (if she's gravid, this is probably the POS), and Scarface has spending lots of time in Almandine's hide. There are going to be some very late-year litters at Living Gems....

That puts the due date at 12/08 - yup, pretty late!! Good luck Cliff!! ;-)

[Snakesitter]

Thanks Dave!

[Wildside]

So excited for you and me because I might just want one ;)

[Snakesitter]

We're always happy to help fill that need -- thank you! Now, I need to go tell Agate, Almandine, and Malachite to get crackin'!