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Is there a way I can tell if my boa is gravid?
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by TheFifthDay on December 1, 2008
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Is there a way I can tell if my boa is gravid just by looking or feeling? I think it is gravid. I saw tangled tails, but I couldn't really see any "penetration". The female is really fat looking, and it looks to be in the lower two-thirds of the body. I can e-mail pictures to anyone who can help me.
Thanks,
Jon Short
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RE: Is there a way I can tell if my boa is gravid?
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by Cro on December 1, 2008
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Jon, it sounds like the boa just might be gravid.
You can send me a photo at jzegel@mindspring.com
Best Regards
John Z
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RE: Is there a way I can tell if my boa is gravid?
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by theemojohnm on December 1, 2008
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Jon, is this female the one you bought as a "male" that we have been discussing through email?
LOL... This is confusing even me now. If the snake your speaking of was the "male", I do think from your tail shot and close-up picture of the vent, that this snake looks female in my opinion. With snakes like this it is very hard to tell though, and even someone experienced with sexing large constrictors and specifically this species (constrictors not being "my thing"), would only be able to give maybe a 60% accurate guess at that.
Didn’t you say you were going to have the snake probed? Did you ever get an accurate gender confirmation for this FEMALE? If this is the snake that you sent me the pictures of, then I believe it is gravid. In the first photo, the lump looked a bit strange to me though. It somewhat resembled the lump made by an ingested prey item that has yet to be digested, and it seemed rather far down the body and "compact" rather than spread out like I think it probably should if it is not too "far along" yet.
The second photo looked a bit more like a gravid snake would look in its "early stages". Keep an eye on that "lump" to see if it shifts position or gradually moves toward the vent, further down the body.
You should notice this lump shift a bit more rapidly and more dramatically a week or so before the snake is ready to "drop".
Honestly, I still think no matter how many people look at photos of this snake, YOU should have the best opinion in "guessing" whether the animal is in fact gravid. YOU knew what the snakes "normal" weight was, her feeding habits, and are able to see the animal daily, moving about in several positions.
Maybe if you had more encounters with gravid snakes, and more experience in seeing how the "bulge" looks, you would be able to better judge. But, I still think the best person to give you a good 50/50 answer on this is yourself.
I know that you noticed some change in the "roundness" in her stomach and her over-all weight if you suspected she was gravid, or you wouldn’t have suspected this in the first place. You have spent the most time with the animal, and in this particular situation, I think YOU would know best. =)
Is she still feeding? Has she shown an decrease in general activeness?
I think you are on the right track with your observation, and I would treat her as a gravid snake for right now, and just monitor that lump for the next few weeks. And of course, hope for the best! =)
Good luck again!
Take Care,
~John Mendrola.
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RE: Is there a way I can tell if my boa is gravid?
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by theemojohnm on December 1, 2008
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Oh good Jon! I missed John's post. I actually was thinking about forwarding those photos you sent me to John. I know we have talked about this before, and I have given my opinion on what I think about the "lup" in that snake, based on everything we went over.
Well, John is the peron that I go to when I need advice, or an EXPERT opinion. =) I am actually am interested to see what he thinks about the pictures.
Just noticed that I used the name Jon/John in this post numerous times now, all refering to myself and two other Jons/Johns... LOL. Oh, what a long day..
Take Care,
~John Mendrola.
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RE: Is there a way I can tell if my boa is gravid?
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by TheFifthDay on December 1, 2008
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It has been just over 2 weeks since she's eaten. I am going to try and feed her tomorrow. As to John Mendrola's question - She's shown a MAJOR decrease in activeness. She will stay in th same spot for days sometimes. She's not using her hide like she always does, either.
She seems to be getting more round, but since she's always coiled up it is hard to tell if the "lump" is moving. I am not sure of the last time this snake defecated, but I always check every day.
Jon Short
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