Weird: Amber coloured ball appeared in vivarium

greengriff · 08-21-17, 10:19 AM

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 · 08-21-17, 10:42 AM

Slug (unfertilized "egg")

Scubadiver59 · 08-21-17, 12:19 PM

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.

Quote:

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.

greengriff · 08-21-17, 12:37 PM

Quote:

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 · 08-21-17, 12:55 PM

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.

Quote:

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 · 08-21-17, 12:59 PM

Quote:

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** · 08-21-17, 01:48 PM

Quote:

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 · 08-21-17, 01:50 PM

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...

Quote:

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.

greengriff · 08-21-17, 01:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aaron_S

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?

No, she refused her last rat! However she has eaten the month before, and that was at least one month after I separated her out from the male. Is there a possibility of pregnancy do you think? I really don't want babies!

Scubadiver59 · 08-21-17, 02:55 PM

Too late to think of that now!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by greengriff

No, she refused her last rat! However she has eaten the month before, and that was at least one month after I separated her out from the male. Is there a possibility of pregnancy do you think? I really don't want babies!

greengriff · 08-21-17, 02:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scubadiver59

Too late to think of that now!!

Unfortunately the previous owner kept them together. If she's laying these 'slugs' during a pregnancy, how far away from giving birth is she?

**Andy_G** · 08-22-17, 07:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by greengriff

Unfortunately the previous owner kept them together. If she's laying these 'slugs' during a pregnancy, how far away from giving birth is she?

She is probably pretty close.

Is this a situation where "we told you so" would apply?

greengriff · 08-22-17, 02:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andy_G

She is probably pretty close.

Is this a situation where "we told you so" would apply?

Sort of - I separated the snakes immediately I got them following advice on this forum, but I guess she could could already have been pregnant when she was in the care of the previous owner, as that was only a few months ago!

If she does have babies I will happily gift them to UK members on this forum if they are wanted. Otherwise I will give them to reptile shops I guess. 2 is quite enough!

**Andy_G** · 08-22-17, 06:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by greengriff

Sort of - I separated the snakes immediately I got them following advice on this forum, but I guess she could could already have been pregnant when she was in the care of the previous owner, as that was only a few months ago!

If she does have babies I will happily gift them to UK members on this forum if they are wanted. Otherwise I will give them to reptile shops I guess. 2 is quite enough!

Yes I understand that you separated them as soon as you were advised to do so and don't fault you. What I mean is that we told you that the previous owner is a knucklehead for doing it and this is one of the many reasons why.

Passing duds/slugs without mating is very common in a lot of colubrid species but much less common when it comes to boas and pythons. Chances are that it happened while they were in his care. Generally speaking it takes courting, locks, ovulation, then a post ovulation shed, and once that shed occurs it is on average 105 days until birth occurs. It is much more of a process to breed boas than it is an event. Did you happen to record when she last shed? It's also worth mentioning that it is common for snakes to lay infertile shortly before the good ones come out so don't panick about that at this point unless she doesn't stop having contractions...they are hard to miss.

If anyone buys anything that is cohabbed before purchase, this is an example of what should be assumed to have happened...better to be prepared just in case. Having to scramble sucks for someone that just isn't prepared.

greengriff · 08-23-17, 01:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andy_G

Yes I understand that you separated them as soon as you were advised to do so and don't fault you. What I mean is that we told you that the previous owner is a knucklehead for doing it and this is one of the many reasons why.

Passing duds/slugs without mating is very common in a lot of colubrid species but much less common when it comes to boas and pythons. Chances are that it happened while they were in his care. Generally speaking it takes courting, locks, ovulation, then a post ovulation shed, and once that shed occurs it is on average 105 days until birth occurs. It is much more of a process to breed boas than it is an event. Did you happen to record when she last shed? It's also worth mentioning that it is common for snakes to lay infertile shortly before the good ones come out so don't panick about that at this point unless she doesn't stop having contractions...they are hard to miss.

If anyone buys anything that is cohabbed before purchase, this is an example of what should be assumed to have happened...better to be prepared just in case. Having to scramble sucks for someone that just isn't prepared.

She has not shed in the 3 months that I've had her, and has only eaten 1 (albeit large) rat. In the same period the male has eaten 3 rats and shed once. Should I be worried that she hasn't shed? She is 6 years old.