Weird: Amber coloured ball appeared in vivarium

[greengriff]

A strange amber lump, spheroid but not a perfect ball has appeared in the viv alongside one of my boas. Does anyone have any idea what it might be? It's about the size of a golf ball.

[eminart]

Slug (unfertilized "egg")

[greengriff]

Originally Posted by eminart

Slug (unfertilized "egg")

That looks like it, although my one is 'flattened' (i.e. slightly more spheroid). I can't see what else it could be, but Boa's give birth to live young don't they?

[Scubadiver59]

True, true, boas give live birth..."(boas) are classified as being ovoviviparous, which means that their eggs emerge inside of the body -- specifically within the oviduct."

"...Since boa constrictors are ovoviviparous creatures, their offspring come into the world already alive, since they come out of eggs located inside of the mother snakes' bodies. The embryos make developmental progress internally. Because wee boa constrictors enter into the world "alive," they are generally very quick to become self-sufficient."

So, if all the "internal eggs" are slugs, eventually one would thing that the dead eggs would eventually be expelled "whole" since there's nothing to hatch.

Originally Posted by greengriff

That looks like it, although my one is 'flattened' (i.e. slightly more spheroid). I can't see what else it could be, but Boa's give birth to live young don't they?

[greengriff]

Originally Posted by Scubadiver59

True, true, boas give live birth..."(boas) are classified as being ovoviviparous, which means that their eggs emerge inside of the body -- specifically within the oviduct."

"...Since boa constrictors are ovoviviparous creatures, their offspring come into the world already alive, since they come out of eggs located inside of the mother snakes' bodies. The embryos make developmental progress internally. Because wee boa constrictors enter into the world "alive," they are generally very quick to become self-sufficient."

So, if all the "internal eggs" are slugs, eventually one would thing that the dead eggs would eventually be expelled "whole" since there's nothing to hatch.

Fair enough. Do you think this means she might be pregnant then? She was previously housed with a male but when I acquired them a few months ago I separated them.

[Aaron_S]

Originally Posted by greengriff

Fair enough. Do you think this means she might be pregnant then? She was previously housed with a male but when I acquired them a few months ago I separated them.

The animal could have laid on top of the slug making it more flat as you've described.

Also, in general, if it was one slug then there's more to come or babies are coming. Has she been eating in recent weeks?

[Scubadiver59]

I wouldn't think so, unless she looks like she's carrying extra weight.

My Anthill Python's dud was an ejection after all the viable eggs were already laid...this was just "house cleaning" after the laying was complete.

That being said, I've heard of some snakes dying since they couldn't lay/pass all the eggs; so, if your boa's gravid, and she can't pass any live young, or more duds, I'd keep an eye on her since you might have to get her to the vet.

Other breeders will chime in I'm sure...

Originally Posted by greengriff

Fair enough. Do you think this means she might be pregnant then? She was previously housed with a male but when I acquired them a few months ago I separated them.

[Scubadiver59]

My Anthill Python left me one after she had already dropped a clutch for her previous owner--I figured that's what it was, a dud, but hers was about the size of jawbreaker or a large marble.

Originally Posted by greengriff

A strange amber lump, spheroid but not a perfect ball has appeared in the viv alongside one of my boas. Does anyone have any idea what it might be? It's about the size of a golf ball.

[Andy_G]

That's right. Sometimes they won't even have an ovulation shed.