Boa About to EXPLODE

[pitbulllady]

My big Red Pastel girl is getting ready to pop out a litter, any day now through early May. Today marks the 120th day from the first sign of ovulation, though counting after the post-ovulation shed would put her due 2-3 weeks from now. She's definitely full of SOMETHING; I just hope it's babies and not a big pile of "slugs". She was bred to a low-expression Jungle male and both of them are part Surniname, so I'm hoping for some neat patterns and colors if she comes through for me.

I'm just not looking forward to cleaning up the mess afterwards, or from taking them away from her, since mama Boas, no matter how sweet they normally are, can be like sow grizzlies when they have babies! I'm definitely gonna need a long snake hook to lift out babies!

What is amazing is how drastically her coloration changed once she got pregnant. She doesn't even look like the same snake as before she was bred. Here is her most-recent pic; look how dark she is!

Here is a pre-pregnancy pic for comparison; yes, this IS the same snake!

pitbulllady

 

[Mack&Cass]

Wow, she darkened up a lot. She is absolutely stunning. Hope you get lots of healthy boa babies.

Cass

 

[Lorgakor]

Do you think her colour will lighten again after the babies?

Good luck on lots of healthy little wrigglers!

 

[pitbulllady]

Do you think her colour will lighten again after the babies?

Good luck on lots of healthy little wrigglers!

Yeah, it should. The color change is typical for gravid Boas. It's caused by hormonal changes, and it helps them absorb heat better. It will probably lighten up with her first post-partem shed.

pitbulllady

 

[ametan]

Wow, what a beautiful mama. And it's so interesting that they change color. I'd never have thought.

 

[OldHag]

UGH the poor snake!! She looks like I felt with my second pregnancy.. holy cow!
Hope you get all healthy babies with gorgeous patterns!