Breeding is not always fun....WARNING! VERY Graphic pictures! Insides of an egg bound female. :(

**MohrSnakes** · 06-23-07, 10:08 AM

As most of you know, breeding can take its toll on a female cornsnake. If all goes as planned the female will lay eggs that are nice and white and then she will put weight back on for the next year. Sometimes, however, the female has problems and the eggs don't make it out. I've only had this happen a few times but it does happen.

These are pics of my hypo blood that was bred to my pewter. Yeah...I know...bloods het hypo pewter would have been pretty cool....but it wasn't in the cards. I was a little nervous as she was taking a good bit of time to lay eggs but I had an amel that shed on the same day she did and hadn't laid yet. Well, the amel eventually laid a good clutch in the evening so I said I would give they hypo blood 48 hours before I started any drastic measures. No need....

Less than 12 hours later..sometime during the night...she passed.

Here are some pics of her opened up to see the eggs. They all looked good...if only she would have passed them. I've not only lost a good project but a good snake. I attempted to incubate the eggs but of course they didn't make it...worth a try.

I guess these things just happen and I just wanted to post here so you guys would know that breeding can't be all fun and games and sometimes you get hit pretty hard.

**Hurley** · 06-23-07, 10:59 AM

Thanks for sharing the photos. Sure can't see anything wrong in there to the naked eye. It's unfortunate that the eggs didn't at least go on to hatch.

A good warning to everyone, for sure. If you aren't willing to risk your female, don't breed her. Though rare, it can happen at any time and is devastating when it does.

**Caroline** · 06-23-07, 11:07 AM

I am so sorry about you loss Jeff but thanks for sharing. Yeah breeding can go really bad sometimes.

**Carol** · 06-23-07, 11:08 AM

Wow, she was really beautiful. Sorry for your loss! It's really amazing how thin the oviduct is!

**MohrSnakes** · 06-23-07, 11:23 AM

Originally Posted by Hurley

Sure can't see anything wrong in there to the naked eye.

Yeah...I'm no vet but I've opened up enough snakes to get a feel for what inside but I sure as heck couldn't find an obvious reason for this complication.

Originally Posted by Hurley

A good warning to everyone, for sure. If you aren't willing to risk your female, don't breed her. Though rare, it can happen at any time and is devastating when it does.

So sad....but so true.

Thanks all for your comments....this was my only adult female hypo blood....looks like I will have to find another way for hypo pewters.

TandJ · 06-23-07, 12:56 PM

Thank you Jeff for posting this.. It has been educational..

Regards.. Tim of T and J

Joanna · 06-23-07, 01:02 PM

I'm so sorry for your loss. Thank you for posting photos. I don't have the kind of fortitude to do what you did. The few DIE that I have opened I have had to get rid of right away because I could not bear to look at them, let alone photograph them. It is too painful. I can only imagine it is much harder with an adult snake.

In the photos you posted there is an are where 3 or 4 eggs are not in a straight line like the others but are clumped together. One of those eggs looks much "cleaner" than the others - no blood vessels or membrane on it. Is it possible that this clump of eggs was putting pressure on a vein, artery or nerve and this caused her death? Or if that one egg is in fact outside of the oviduct did it rupture the oviduct and lead to her death? I have no experience with this but was just wondering.

Again, sorry for your loss.

**MohrSnakes** · 06-23-07, 01:49 PM

Originally Posted by Joanna

In the photos you posted there is an are where 3 or 4 eggs are not in a straight line like the others but are clumped together. One of those eggs looks much "cleaner" than the others - no blood vessels or membrane on it. Is it possible that this clump of eggs was putting pressure on a vein, artery or nerve and this caused her death? Or if that one egg is in fact outside of the oviduct did it rupture the oviduct and lead to her death? I have no experience with this but was just wondering.

Good eye. Forgot to mention that. I actually removed the membrane to see if the eggs were still viable and hence the one appears a little more vibrant. As far as the clumping, I am not sure if that caused a problem or not. That may have been part of it as there seemed to be slightly more fatty deposits in that area, but I do not know if that contributed or not. Also, the eggs closest to the vent were in a straight line so that perplexes me a little as I would think if the clumping was the culprit then at least I'd see a few eggs laid before she became egg bound.

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And yes...it was hard to cut her open but I thought the eggs may be viable (although highly unlikely) and I also was curious to see what was going on. I guess that's the scientist in me.

Thanks again everyone for you kind words.

vanderkm · 06-23-07, 07:17 PM

Sorry to hear of the loss of a very nice female but thanks for posting - it is instructional about the risks involved - and even when there doesn't appear to be any cause - sometimes it is a metabolic issue that just isn't predictable -

mary v.

Joni Garcia · 06-24-07, 03:14 PM

Thanks for sharing the photos with us. Sorry to hear about the loss of your girl.