How do you Tell when they are truly gravid?

[Winston]

HEy I want to knwo if my female boa is gravid or not
I purchased her as possible gravid. she has shed and fed only once. she looks like she has a big head because 1/3 of her body in the front looks skinny but when you get to the mid section she is pretty big. Could somebody e mail me pics on the what gravid female look like as time progress. and Also I've heard Jeff Ronnie say that they coil on top of themselves, and weird postions. what does that mean. send em pics of those too.

Thank you for your help

Winston

[Linda]

I'm still not an expert, but I'll put my .02 in. I think you'll know she's truely gravid when she gives birth. There are many things that can happen from the time they breed till this happens. Some boas give birth to all slugs. Others give birth prematurely, and the babies don't survive. Occasionally, I think, they can have a "false pregnancy". You can "never" count your babies before they're born. You can hope for the best, but don't expect babies till you see little live healthy boas swimming in slime. Yep from all the pictures I've seen it's a slimy process. Now to the rest of the question. My boas had their Post Ovulation Shed in early Jan. Since then they haven't eaten. They continue to get large in the lower 2/3 of their bodies. Recently I've noticed a "thinning out" in their necks. They almost have a "pencil neck" appearence. Just below where the neck is very thin they suddenly get slightly larger. I guess it sort of looks like, maybe, babies are growing inside them and pushing their internal organs upwards. I saw actual copulation on all 3 of my boas. I think they may be gravid, but even seeing the courting and breeding doesn't = babies. Only time will tell. I do believe the waiting is the worse part of the breeding process. The "weird posistions" you mentioned are "heat conservation posistions". A gravid boa will remain coiled on or close to the heat source to conserve body heat. I read that in Jeff's article and The Boa Manual. If you think your boa is gravid you shouldn't handle her. Give her smaller meals and lots of water. If she doesn't have babies withing 4 months from the time you got her, she probably isn't gravid. Unless the shed she's having now is her Post Ovulation Shed. Then count 4 months from that shed. It actually takes 105 days give or take a little, but figure 4 months just to be sure. Anyway did I mention I'm not an expert? LOL. Anyway I'm hoping someone who is an expert will give some better info than I have. :D All I can go by is what I've read and what I've been told. This is the first year I'm purposely breeding boas and it's going to be a hit or miss thing for me.
Good Luck
Linda

[redtailboas]

Well I will help with the pictures.  Maybe this will shed some light on the subject for you.

Gravid females are very large midsection, and if gravid spend a tremendous amount of time in the heat conservation picture.

First Gravid
http://www.redtailboas.com/forumpics/gravid1.jpg
Laying on her side
http://www.redtailboas.com/forumpics/layonside1.jpg
Heat Conservation Picture
http://www.redtailboas.com/forumpics/heatsave1.jpg

Hope these help.

[Winston]

Well my female has gone into the heat conservation postion once. but most of times she stays between the heat side and the cool side right in the middle and she was with a male up to 6 weeks ago and 2 weeks ago she shed once. and fed once.

Thanx for all your help

Winston