• Responding to email notices you receive.
    **************************************************
    In short, DON'T! Email notices are to ONLY alert you of a reply to your private message or your ad on this site. Replying to the email just wastes your time as it goes NOWHERE, and probably pisses off the person you thought you replied to when they think you just ignored them. So instead of complaining to me about your messages not being replied to from this site via email, please READ that email notice that plainly states what you need to do in order to reply to who you are trying to converse with.

  • IMPORTANT! PLEASE READ!! About the Google Adsense ads being displayed

    =====================
    Posted 08/15/2025
    =====================


    Yeah, I know. They are a pain in the butt. But they pay the bills to keep my server running. Just a fact of life, I am afraid.

    Want to get rid of them? Simple. Just become a Contributor level member or above and they will be gone. -> Please click HERE."

    Is that too much for me to ask of you to keep this site running? Well, sorry about that. I too wish I could get everything for free. But alas.....

    =====================
    Addendum: 01/10/2026
    =====================


    Google Adsense ad revenue for December, 2025 was just $30 over the cost of the lease for the server running this site. So, in effect, the money providing the incentive for me to continue running this site is coming SOLELY from the paid memberships and sponsorships here. Which honestly ain't much....

Need some help!

ClairJ246

ClairJ246

New member
Joined
Apr 8, 2011
Messages
57
Reaction score
1
Points
0
Location
Layton, UT, United States
We purchased a rtb female about 7 ft long alittle less then a week ago. We are bp people, but my boyfriend wanted something bigger. Well boy oh boy did we get it! Our buddy who has been breeding, keeping, and selling snakes for years came over to check her out and imediately asked if she had been housed with a male. I twxted the woman who had her first.and she said she had before they got her, about three weeks ago. Our friend did the equivilent of palpating and could feel babies. Yesterday we overed her a small rat and she took it quickly. She swoll up like a ballon last night so we quickly got her on very moist paper towels. She completely shed and is just laying in her tank. She is being kept at about 86 degrees and is on belly heat. Ive searched everywhere for info on a "prelay shed" for rtb and im not finding much. I want to state right off that we were not intending on breeding her until we had everything in set up. So please dont attack us. What all do we need to have done and ready before she pops. And time frame? Help us out please!

This was her last night
IMAG0132.jpg
 
Boas do not have the same "pre-lay" shed that many other snakes do...at least not one that is a consistent time from parturition. The countdown is typically from the post ovulation shed, after which babies can be expected in approx 105-110 days.
Time frame from where you are now? :shrug01:
 
go off yesterdays shed, she looks like should could be ovualting, should be 105 days from yesterday... if she took.. but i have a female at 126 days, so each female is different, id say bump her hot spot temps to like 90-92.. IMO i put my gravid females to 90-92 and ive only had 5 slugs over a couple years..
feed her small meals, and not as often... now its just waitin to see if she is or isnt gravid....
 
If she's gravid, she'll spend a lot of time in what is called a heat conserving position - basically coiled in a circle.
 
she will drop a plug out a bit before giving birth, i have had them drop it 3 weeks before and 3 days before, it is a waxy looking, white and all mine have always had some green in there...

she will get skinny before giving birth like 4-2 days before...
tail lifting the day of...
then after giving birth she will be agressive most likely so be careful lol
 
She got really skinny two days ago and there seems to be a whit waxy substance that appeared this morning. I misted her and she became really aggressive which she doesnt do at all.
 
ClairJ246 said:
She got really skinny two days ago and there seems to be a whit waxy substance that appeared this morning. I misted her and she became really aggressive which she doesnt do at all.
Click to expand...

It is very unlikely that she is about to drop. It is rare for them to shed right before giving birth. Usually they will shed just before ovulating (Post ovulation shed) then they will not shed untill giving birth. She will darken as she progresses, this is to help absorb heat, then after dropping her litter she will shed and return to her normal color. Another sign of labor will be body movement, she will lay in unusual positions, she may breathe a little heavier and I have also noticed they will start to have slight "contractions" when nearing there due date. All of this of course is in addition to what some others have stated. Best of luck!
 
After she has those babies, you're going to have to get her out, and rehome her (even if only temporarily) into another enclosure. If not, she'll crush/smother the babies. You'll want to distract her or cover her head to keep her from seeing your hand coming. Carefully, but firmly get a grasp around her neck, and use your other arm to lift the rest of her. She's not going to like it, but it will have to be done. Then you'll get to play in baby boa goo!! Good luck!
 
i have had them shed while gravid every year, which i find odd everyone says they dont shed when they are gravid but all my litters have but never right before, about 2 months to go.. i doubt she is about to drop also!

Matt thats not how you do it! lol you just pick her up but distract her with the other hand! its more fun lol, i love testing my luck after babies
lol
 
hhmoore said:
If she's gravid, she'll spend a lot of time in what is called a heat conserving position - basically coiled in a circle.
Click to expand...

And she'll start growing if she took. She may get pretty big before parturition. Like this.

DSC_5685.jpg


Good luck. Nothing like a litter of little ones to get you hooked on Boas. LOL
 
Also it's a good idea to not feed for the last 4 weeks before the due date. Some may go into labor while passing waste. Slugs, especially an all slug litter (unfertalized ova) will usually be delivered earlier than the normal 105-115 POS days.

For removing an angry mother I use the top of a rubbermaid tub as a shield, but gotta watch it, they're quick sometimes!

Good luck! Keep us updated!

chasebaker5 said:
i have had them shed while gravid every year, which i find odd everyone says they dont shed when they are gravid
Click to expand...

yeah it happens, just not as common. One of my girls shed exactly half way through gestation each time.
 
Back
Top