New snake owner, my elderly snake laid eggs

SammyLou · 04-01-20, 07:49 PM

Hi y'all. This is my first time posting. I need help. A few months ago I inherited a lavendar albino corn snake from a friend who passed away. She is approximately 18 years old and super chill. I feed her a frozen jumbo mouse once a week and her vivarium has a couple hides, a sufficient cool and warm side, some fake plants to climb, a branch, and aspen bedding.

Anyway about 3 weeks ago she took to her hide and didn't want to come out. I left her alone and she stayed in there about 2 weeks. Finally she came out one night and I could hear her moving around. In the morning I saw she had shed. I thought this was weird because she recently shed maybe 5 weeks prior? Anyway I attempted to feed her and she refused.

Maybe like a week later she started laying eggs.

She layed 9 over the course of 2 days. When she was finally done I offered her a large adult mouse and she refused again. This was last week. This week she's super active, trying to climb for the top of her viv, always moving when I check on her. But she still refuses to eat. She looks pretty normal, isn't objecting to me handling her or seeming cranky. Her eyes don't look cloudy she just seems really hyper. Should I be concerned? Should I take her to the vet? Sorry if these questions are dumb I'm a first time snake owner and I love her and want her to be healthy. Thanks for any help.

**EL Ziggy** · 04-02-20, 02:19 PM

If she's 18 I wouldn't be too worried about her missing a few meals. I'd just space out offering food to every 2 weeks until she starts eating again.

dangernoodles · 04-02-20, 02:22 PM

Can´t help you there, but welcome to the forum regardless.

chairman · 04-02-20, 09:15 PM

Corn snakes can lay eggs for just about their entire lives without issues. I would not worry about your snake, it should recover just fine.

What did you end up doing with the eggs? There's a good chance they are fertile. About 20 years ago, my first cornsnake came to me gravid. Back then I incubated them in a plastic shoe box filled about 1/4 of the way with moist, not wet, vermiculite. I had to keep paper towels draped over the eggs to keep them from molding. I kept the eggs at room temperature, just tucked away in a quiet spot. If I recall correctly then most of the eggs hatched. There are certainly better ways to care for eggs, but you may have those materials hanging around.

SammyLou · 04-03-20, 01:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chairman

Corn snakes can lay eggs for just about their entire lives without issues. I would not worry about your snake, it should recover just fine.

What did you end up doing with the eggs? There's a good chance they are fertile. About 20 years ago, my first cornsnake came to me gravid. Back then I incubated them in a plastic shoe box filled about 1/4 of the way with moist, not wet, vermiculite. I had to keep paper towels draped over the eggs to keep them from molding. I kept the eggs at room temperature, just tucked away in a quiet spot. If I recall correctly then most of the eggs hatched. There are certainly better ways to care for eggs, but you may have those materials hanging around.

I consulted my friend and just disposed of them since I figured they were no good. What does it mean when a snake is gravid? Omg I hadn't even considered that they might be viable!

SammyLou · 04-03-20, 01:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EL Ziggy

If she's 18 I wouldn't be too worried about her missing a few meals. I'd just space out offering food to every 2 weeks until she starts eating again.

Thank you! Today she laid one last random egg and I thought for sure she was done a few days ago. She seems much calmer. I'll try your idea.

jimmy01 · 04-05-20, 05:29 AM

Corn snakes need to be warm in order to be able to digest their meal properly. If your snake does not have somewhere warm to go to after a meal, then they might decide not to eat.

Iseitaku · 07-28-20, 06:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chairman

Corn snakes can lay eggs for just about their entire lives without issues. I would not worry about your snake, it should recover just fine.

What did you end up doing with the eggs? There's a good chance they are fertile. About 20 years ago, my first cornsnake came to me gravid. Back then I incubated them in a plastic shoe box filled about 1/4 of the way with moist, not wet, vermiculite. I had to keep paper towels draped over the eggs to keep them from molding. I kept the eggs at room temperature, just tucked away in a quiet spot. If I recall correctly then most of the eggs hatched. There are certainly better ways to care for eggs, but you may have those materials hanging around.

Unless the snake has been with a mate then this is not possible. I had to deal with eggs before with my snakes who are both female and they just happen to lay eggs about once a year. They are dead eggs I know because they haven't been in contact with any males. The best thing to do when your snake has eggs it needs to lay is create a lay box for them to lay them in when they need it and let them cool off (stress wise) after they laid them. Unless your snake is naturally resistant to stress in my opinion it could simply be stress since you took their eggs away from them. I deal with that every year when Red and Ruby lay their eggs.

chairman · 07-28-20, 09:13 PM

Parthenogenesis in corn snakes is very rare but it has been reported. It would not have hurt to incubate the eggs, even if they were likely not fertile.

Iseitaku · 07-31-20, 05:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chairman

Parthenogenesis in corn snakes is very rare but it has been reported. It would not have hurt to incubate the eggs, even if they were likely not fertile.

Did not know that, whats your source?

chairman · 07-31-20, 07:14 PM

There's a forum (other than this one) dedicated to cornsnakes. The phenomenon has been discussed there.