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LadySerpent
Snake mite
USA
28 Posts |
 Posted - 20/08/2011 : 02:21:38
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Hey everyone,
It's been awhile since I've been here; hope everyone is well. I do, however have a question. I come across this many times "Do not disturb your female while she is giving birth to the hatchlings, as this could upset her and increase your chances of still borns. Remove the hatchlings as soon as they are born to avoid the mother mistaking them for unfertilized slugs and eating them." Now, when they say do not disturb them and take them out as soon as they are born. How do u not disturb them, but yet, take them out as soon as they are born? The reason I ask, is because my BRB should be due any days now. I have to find out so I do not make a mistake. This is her 5th month being gravid, and her tail end is starting to swell. Some answers would be great, thank u. :) |
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flaboye
Hatchling
USA
178 Posts |
Posted - 20/08/2011 : 16:25:38
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Well this is how we did it at the breeder. Once the babies are born, take mom out, she may be a little "moody" about this, as this is about the only time she will attempt to defend them, give her a nice rinse and put her in a fresh container even if only temporary. The babies don't really need a wash, and you can either put them all together in a new container or separate (which is what we did). We kept them on paper until their first shed and first feed (we fed them a mouse fuzzie after their first shed). Some of the reasons for the paper is some of the placenta may remain on some of them and paper is an unabrasive surface for this to wear itself off onto. You can also see, this way, if a baby may be having some kind of problem, i.e., excess fluids etc.
So, remove the mother first. We always bathed them, and put them in fresh substrate, and fresh water containers. Babies also went to separate fresh containers with paper as their substrate until first shed and feed, then went on misted cypress mulch from there on out.
Hope that helps, and good luck on your litter!
Joe |
0.1.0 Brazilian Rainbow
1.0.0 Hypo BCI
1.0.0 Columbian RedTail
1.0.0 Great Pyrenees
0.0.1 Armadillo under house |
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LadySerpent
Snake mite
USA
28 Posts |
Posted - 21/08/2011 : 03:08:17
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Joe,
Thank you so much for your great information! Your way sounds like the best I've heard so far... I guess it's time to go ahead and get the other enclosure ready for her and prepare a place for the baby. Not sure if I should separate them or keep them together yet... I know it's best to separate them so we know if anything is wrong with each individual. My female do not look very big as this is her first litter. I am thinking it'll be a small litter. She's 5 yrs old now... So I waited a long while. LOL |
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Snakesitter
Rainbow Master
USA
2718 Posts |
Posted - 22/08/2011 : 20:46:44
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LadyS, it will not hurt the babies to leave them with Mom for a few hours or even a day. I know several top breeders who have daytime commitments and thus come home to find babies out and cruising the cage -- meaning, they have bene in there for some time. In other words, I suspect the concern about Mom eating a baby (at least in the short term) is overstated. This also avoids any chance of interrupting Mom while she is doing her business.
As for what to do with the babies first, I know people who put them in a group tub for a short time with some type of substrate to allow them to work off any residual slime, and only then separate and [EDIT: sex] them.
Kudos to you for spacing out your litters and using an older female. Well done! |
Cliff Earle
Living Gems Reptiles
Premium Brazilian Rainbow Boas from a disease-tested facility
Website, Facebook |
Edited by - Snakesitter on 24/08/2011 20:58:38 |
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mowgli19
Snake mite
United Kingdom
27 Posts |
Posted - 24/08/2011 : 18:15:37
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| I also put them altogether for a while with some substrate in to help clean them etc and my last batch was from my 5 year old which was her first time to and she had 16 babies :-) |
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LadySerpent
Snake mite
USA
28 Posts |
Posted - 25/08/2011 : 16:11:41
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| Well, my female is giving birth now and it's all dudes. :( Makes me so sad. Overall, it's still a good day, as it is my son's 1st birthday too!!! |
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LadySerpent
Snake mite
USA
28 Posts |
Posted - 25/08/2011 : 16:12:22
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| I mean, duds... |
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Snakesitter
Rainbow Master
USA
2718 Posts |
Posted - 25/08/2011 : 20:24:13
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As a dude, I was going to say.... ;-)
Sorry to hear the litter did not start out well. Hopefully it was a better end, though?
Happy birthday to your son!!! |
Cliff Earle
Living Gems Reptiles
Premium Brazilian Rainbow Boas from a disease-tested facility
Website, Facebook |
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LadySerpent
Snake mite
USA
28 Posts |
Posted - 25/08/2011 : 21:42:41
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| My female ate most of the duds. From what I can see, she ate about 12 or more! Is that normal, is that oK??? I'm concerend. She started eating them before she is finish. She's still contracting! Looks like sometihng wants to come out but nothing will... I'm starting to freak, I think. She's my baby! I love that snake to death! |
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Snakesitter
Rainbow Master
USA
2718 Posts |
Posted - 25/08/2011 : 23:22:17
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By duds, you mean unfertiziled slugs, right? The yellow-orange blobs? If so, it is perfectly normal for a female to re-ingest them, and you should let her do so. It allows her to reclaim some energy from the strain of pregnancy. (And, presumably, in the wild, would "cover up" the tracks for her live babies.)
She may still have other slugs or even babies inside, I've heard delivery can take a while.
Joe, anything to add? |
Cliff Earle
Living Gems Reptiles
Premium Brazilian Rainbow Boas from a disease-tested facility
Website, Facebook |
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LadySerpent
Snake mite
USA
28 Posts |
Posted - 26/08/2011 : 00:31:02
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| Ok, she started laying about 5am Eastern time... I woke up at 7:30 am and found about 7 slugs, so I am just guessing it's around 5am. It is now 7:30pm and still looks like she got a few more in her. Is it normal to take this long? When should I start worrying if I have to? I am a very concern mama at the moment, so sorry!!! 1st timer, ya know? lol BTW, Thanks so much for all the help. |
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Snakesitter
Rainbow Master
USA
2718 Posts |
Posted - 26/08/2011 : 19:55:25
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| Hmmm, I know it can take a while, but I'm not sure it should take *that* long. I'd have to defer to people who have been through this more than I though. Can you post a picture, by any chance? |
Cliff Earle
Living Gems Reptiles
Premium Brazilian Rainbow Boas from a disease-tested facility
Website, Facebook |
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LadySerpent
Snake mite
USA
28 Posts |
Posted - 27/08/2011 : 01:34:54
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| So far, she's doing good. Looks lumpy from the slugs she ate, I would guess. Other than that, she doesn't seem to have lost a lot of weight, that I am glad. I wish I can put up pictures because I love pics! LOL But all of my pics are on my phone. If you have facebook, please feel free to add me. http://www.facebook.com/LadySerpent Let me know ur from the rainbow forum... Take care and thanks so much for your help. :) |
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flaboye
Hatchling
USA
178 Posts |
Posted - 27/08/2011 : 15:41:03
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Hey Cliff. Hey LadySerpent! Normally with live births they come rather quickly. However, since you said she seems to be passing slugs, yes, I have seen a female leave slugs one day, then we saw more the next and even more a 3rd day. I don't know what you have her on, have you checked her enclosure for any live babies? They will sometimes hide up under her or burrow into substrate, so there is a chance you could still have some live babies hopefully.
And yes, as Cliff said, leaving the babes and mom together for a while isn't a problem. Sometimes ours would give birth during the night and we wouldn't see it until the next day, and sometimes not until late in the day if I was working in another area. We ran at least one check on the gravids each day, even if it wasn't servicing day for them.
I didn't see a lot of ours ingesting their slugs, however, we were usually on top of it, as we did daily checks and if I saw slugs I'd record the number, date, etc., and remove them.
Again, if it appears that all that's going on is slugs, then it's possible it could take her a couple of days to pass them all.
Keep an eye on her and let us know how she's doing.
Sometimes this is what happens. You can go back through her gravid period and see if there is anything you can do better/differently next time. Sometimes the first time one breeds, this is what happens, or if they are getting older.
Happy birthday to your son!
Joe |
0.1.0 Brazilian Rainbow
1.0.0 Hypo BCI
1.0.0 Columbian RedTail
1.0.0 Great Pyrenees
0.0.1 Armadillo under house |
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Snakesitter
Rainbow Master
USA
2718 Posts |
Posted - 27/08/2011 : 19:11:06
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| Thanks Joe! LadyS, glad to hear she is looking better! |
Cliff Earle
Living Gems Reptiles
Premium Brazilian Rainbow Boas from a disease-tested facility
Website, Facebook |
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LadySerpent
Snake mite
USA
28 Posts |
Posted - 27/08/2011 : 21:32:29
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| Yes, Joe... I had her on newspaper for easy clean up when she's done. So, no.. no babies hiding :( |
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Question for when babies come
