What do you htink pregnant?....

[wck]

First time breeding, but I have followed everything to the t. Just not sure what to look for.


http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y165/labelleminet/013.jpg

[JChurch]

Well wck, after a total of 28 looks at your post I felt compeled to give you a responce. First off, you haven't given us any info to work with. More info please. Also Jeff has some great infomation right here on this site. Check out his Reptiles magazine interview/article. Tons of info there alone. That will you a great foundation to work from. I'm not sure exactly where it is but I will find it .

[JChurch]

Try these links. I can't find Jeff's yet.
http://www.boaconstrictor.net/forums/showthread.php?t=6424

[wck]

I have read the article and watched the breeding video by Jeff. Anyways info about snake:

intro male Feb 14

Removed male April 19

Then shed cycle: finally had shed on may 20

So by that she should be due around Sept 1

But when i look at her she does not seem big enough to be pregnant. They quart ed and hooked up whether anything happened i don't know, then separated just like the video said..........

[Randy_T.]

From whats visible she doesn't look gravid to me. Can you get any better angle shots showing her from above possibly?

[wck]

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y165/labelleminet/004.jpg

[Linda]

Need more info. Pictures are nice, but the info is the most important part.

Here's some questions that still need to be answered.

How old and how big is she?

An older female that is very large won't always "look" gravid. Sometimes a larger female could be carrying a small litter.

Did you see and ovulation?

Boas can court and "hook up" all day long, but it's the ovulation that counts. Now even if she ovulated that doesn't mean she's pregnant. It only means she's ovulated and could be carrying "something".

Did you female's water intake increase?

Boas that are in breeding mode tend to drink "LOTS" of water. When I have my boas breeding I'll change the water daily. They tend to drink more water when it's changed daily, but it's also a sign of pending ovulation. At least, that's the way it works with my girls.

Did the male loose interest or did you remove him?

Males will totally loose interest after the female ovulates. OK, some stil want to breed, but most loose interest totally. Unfortunately even if a male does loose interest that doesn't means she's ovulated. It could just mean he's tired and gave up. For me, unless I actually see the ovulation, I don't consider the male done until he's "done". I take the male out for a few days. I offer him food. Sometimes they need a little extra energy to get them back in the mood. Then after the male has digested, provide he actually ate, I put him back. Normally they're only a part 4 or 5 days. If the female hasn't ovulated the male goes right back to work.

Did your female stop eating on her own or did you stop feeding for breeding?

For me, the best indicator for ovulation is the female stops eating on her own. My females normally stop eating after the pre-ovulation swell. That's an indicator for me that ovulation is comming soon.

Has your female resumed eating after you removed the male or have you even offerd her food?

My females will normally only eat small food items after and ovulation. Most times they don't eat until after they give birth. Most times they'll only take 1 or 2 small meals after the POS.

Have you checked her temps?

Gravid/pregnant boas have a body temp that's between 86 and 88 degrees "all the time". Even on the cooler end of the cage.

Has she become more aggressive?

Not all females become more aggressive. I've actually had 1 that got "nicer". She would actually come to the door when I opened it and rub her head on my hand and arm. Sort of like a cat would. Pretty cute stuff.

Of course, some act like posessed creatures and just want to kill you. Others just become more aggressive than normal.

Has he body language changed?

Boas that are gravid have a different body language. If you've ever seen videos of boas that are giving birth you'll notice they're "different". After a boa gives birth they will gently push their babies to get them moving. It's a very gentle movement and is done with great care. Boas that are gravid/pregnant will sometimes exibit this behavior even before they give birth. They might re-arrange their cage. Pushing their water bowl and wadding their substrate into a pile.

There's more ways to determine if a boa is gravid/pregnant, but these are the main things I look for.

The important thing is that you must be very observant with your boa. Seeing ovulations is the best way to tell, but if you miss it..... Then it's only time or careful observations that will tell you whether she is or not.

[Missi]

First of all, Linda, freaking awesome post, thanks hun. :)

Second, the pics are great, but I do agree there needs to be more of them and from many different angles. If it were me, I'd take 10 pics when I believed she was gravid and 10 when I wasn't so sure. Pick the best 5 from each pile, compare them, and answer all of the questions Linda just posted.

We're all here to help, whether we're new to the hobby or been doing it for more years than some of us younger viewers have been around. :) If you're still at a loss, then just keep asking. Only dumb question is an un-asked one.

[Linda]

Thanks,
I was worried it might be a little to "wordy". LOL. :)