Infertile egg laying??

[kcarello]

Puff is 10 months old and about 4 weeks ago she started digging outside. I made her a lay box and within a couple of days she dug a cave with a tunnel. She has been gaining weight, and not eating much. On April 27th she weighed 513g. This morning 578g. She eats about 1/2 collard green leaf and a syringe full of soaked/mashed dragon pellets with calcium mixed in it. Then through out the day she might eat 3 - 5 feeders..med. hornworms, silkworms, butterworms or supers. So she isn't eating that much, but is eating. She has glass danced a couple times this week but when I put her in her lay box, she just wants out. I put her in her lay box everyday, for up to 30 minutes. Sometimes when I first put her in it she will head bob!!?? I can not feel any eggs, sometimes I thing I can see some, but not sure. I am just worried about her getting egg bound or them bursting, but then, I don't know if that is possible with infertile eggs, I realize that they are not firm like fertile ones so I don't know. I am also aware that she can self absorb them. I would really like any help and input you guys can give me.
Thanks,Kelly and Puff

 

[kcarello]

Wow!! Does anybody have any ideals, or helpful advice...anyone???????????????

 

[Sierra1167]

I wish I could help. I am going through something similar with Sezja. I have half of her tank loaded with soil and she is digging around, but no eggs yet. I am looking for some ideas of what to expect as far as length of time this goes on before I need to worry. She is going through different moods....from relaxing in her hide, to digging furiously, to glass dancing like she wants out. Very frustrating to not know what she wants/needs.

 

[kcarello]

Maybe you should make her a separate lay box. I made Puffs out of a tupperware bin/tote. It has a lid that has a square cut out and screen taped over it so I can put a light on her so she doesnt get too cold. I have heard they like privacy, so maybe you could try that. Has she stopped eating?
Tracie, one of the moderators, told me that it can take some time, but to watch for sudden weight loss, and that if that happened to get her to the vet ASAP. So I am still waiting. Puffs weight gain has leveled off and she is still eating. But her urates are getting to have a pink tint to them, which is suppose to be hormonal changes that are usually a sign of them getting ready to lay.
Let me know how things go with your girl.
Kelly

 

[Sierra1167]

Thanks for the reply. I do have a tote that I can modify. Do you keep her in there all the time or just during the day? She is still eating but when she tries to poop only a tiny bit comes out. I've been giving her a warm soak every day.

 

[kcarello]

I put her in it everyday, but only for 1 hour at the most. Sometimes she immediatly tries to get out, so I just take her out, if not I will leave her for a hour or so. The first time I put her in it, she dug her cave, tunnel thing, but then wanted out. It took her most of an afternoon.
The smaller poos are supposed to be another part of the egg laying stuff too. Watch for her urates to get slightly pink too. The daily soaks are excellent, if they do go through the egg laying it takes alot out of them and they need to be well hydrated before hand. Aslo, increase her calcium, it takes alot of calcium for them to make the eggs and you need to make sure she is getting alot.
Apparantley this can take 1 - 2 months, and then they sometimes self-absorb them...
How long has your girl been acting like she is gravid?

 

[Sierra1167]

Probably about a week or two. I feel badly because I didn't even think of eggs until yesterday. I've never gone thru it before and she only just turned a year old in april. At first she just wanted out all the time. She would always make a beeline for her brother's tank taunt him with her feminine wiles. Lol Then earlier this week I thought she may be impacted. That's when I spoke to a friend and she mentioned being gravid. I felt her belly and I can feel what seems like soft marbles in there. Ugh.

 

[kcarello]

Well, at least you can feel the eggs! I can't feel any in Puff, and I have tried and tried!! This is all very frustrating stuff and hard on the patience..
Maybe if you get that bin done she will just get in there and lay her eggs. I hope so!! Let me know how it goes.
Kelly

 

[Sierra1167]

Well, I was gone all day yesterday on a visit to family and was going to take your advice and make the separate laying box for her today. BUT....when I went to feed Sezja this morning I saw an egg! I ended up finding two, but there may be more buried in the dirt. The thing is, I think they are fertile. They are not dented at all. They are perfectly smooth,firm white eggs. I guess Drago got her after all. Now I will be reading up on how to incubate these little babies. Money is really tight right now because of school and everything else, so I am not sure how I am going to manage it. I have to try though. I can't stand the thought of just throwing away possible life.

 

[kcarello]

In the bredding section, there are instructions on what to do now...congratulations, and good luck,
Let me know how it goes,
Kelly

 

[Sierra1167]

Thanks! I have been reading and am going to try to set something up to at least give them a chance. My snake breeder is giving me some vermiculite to use. I stil;l have to candle them to be sure they are fertile. I am not sure when she laid these first two. I only had time to wet down the soil in hopes that they will be okay until this evening.

 

[kcarello]

Good luck..let me know!

 

[Sierra1167]

I made an incubator using a styrofoam cooler with a lid, water, and a submersible aquarium heater. My snake breeder gave me some vermiculite in a Ziploc container. So far she has laid three. I tried to candle them. One I think I see a vein and the other two I'm unsure of, so I just put them all in just in case. I can always take them out later. I have a probe thermometer lying on top of the container. Is that okay ?This is so overwhelming. Lol

 

[kcarello]

Ha ha, I am so sorry, but I haven't made it that far in this whole process. It sounds like you have things under control. Good luck, and please let me know how things go. If Puff ever does lay her eggs, there is no way they will be fertile, so you have alot more to deal with than I do.
Kelly