Hi all,
I recently acquired an adult female Morelia s. cheynei from a breeder. Said breeder advised me that she was (very unlikely to be but) possibly gravid. He informed me that she had been mated only once this season, due to him not having enough males to go around.
This cheynei sloughed one week after I got her, which ads to the possibility that she is gravid. Of course, it could just be coincidence, and not a pre-lay slough.
It is now about two weeks after she has sloughed and I've noticed some minor swelling and a change in basking behavior. Until now, she was just about always been in her hide box, which is under the heat source, but these past few days has begun sitting almost constantly on top of the hide box, closer to the heat source. There have been no changes in temperature and she has passed the food she was last given.
I have also noticed that there is some swelling (see photo below). You can really only see one bump from this angle, but there is actually a couple of them, though the others aren't as noticeable. There are also a couple of scaled not sitting quite flat in this area (there has been no injury, and the scales are still perfect in appearance, just slightly raised).
I'm aware that many pythons go off their food when they are gravid, but the breeder I purchased this girl off has advised me that she always eats right up until she lays, so the fact that she is still eating is indicative of nothing.
I've never had a gravid python before, so maybe I'm reading too much into things, but I'm starting to suspect she IS gravid. If indeed she is, she will be due (based on the last slough being a pre-lay) within the next week or two, so I will need to provide her with a lay box fairly quickly.
I would very much appreciate advice in this matter.
Oh, I might also add that I am residing in Australia, so while it might be "off-season" for those in the US, it is "perfect timing" for us here.
Thanks all!
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