VERY long ovulation swelling or male mating gravid female Bredli??

[GoodGracious]

Hello, new to the forum and seeking some advice...

3 weeks ago I acquired a pair of Bredli pythons from a couple of idiots who hadn't been caring for them properly and both are suffering colds from inadequate heating. I had hoped to sort them out by simply getting them in a correct set up and "cooking" it out of them, and have used olbas oil in the enclosure to ease up the catarrh in the airway with great success, but the persistent symptoms mean I'm now going to run a sensitivity test in order to run a course of antibiotics.

But that's by the by, here's the weird thing; The week I collected the snakes the owners told me their JCP that they kept with the pair of Bredli had that week been mating the female. A day or so after settling the snakes into their new home I noticed that the female is very swollen in her lower region, much akin to either a very gravid snake, or an ovulating snake. Yesterday I saw the pair of snakes mating. I've never come across ovulation swellings lasting more than a couple of days before in other boids, but equally, have never known a male to mate with a gravid female. I've not bred Australian pythons before so thought I would see if anyone has come across this situation before... any ideas?

Cheers in advance!!

 

[dragondragon]

Maybe take them to the vet they might have respiratory infection

 

[GoodGracious]

Maybe take them to the vet they might have respiratory infection

Cheers, yes they do have respiratory infections. I work very closely with international zoo vets and laboratories and am able to do a lot of preliminary diagnostics and treatments myself; we were hoping to treat the symptoms with antibiotic-free methods as often it is possible to clear mild infections with proper husbandry techniques (and as she may be gravid), but as I was saying, we are now running sensitivity tests to establish which meds are best to use for a course of antibiotic treatment. The swelling isn't in the chest region, but in the reproductive region on the snakes' body.

 

[cement]

While they are ovulating is the best time to put your male in to mate. Once shes gravid they tend to seperate and go their own way.

 

[GoodGracious]

While they are ovulating is the best time to put your male in to mate. Once shes gravid they tend to seperate and go their own way.

That's what I'm saying, but is it normal for this species to show ovulation swelling lasting 3 weeks? In other species I've bred I've never seen it for more than a day or two.

 

[cement]

No, ovulation itself is a couple of days. But swelling should be present in some way, shape or form right through, if the follicles are fertilized. The mass just evens itself out along the oviducts for the last third of the snake. If you are talking about a lump that mimicks ovulation at the time when she is pushing all the follicles forward and into her oviducts, making it look like a freshly eaten meal that lasts for three weeks..... then you have a problem and I would suggest ultrasounding the gut.

 

[champagne]

No, ovulation itself is a couple of days. But swelling should be present in some way, shape or form right through, if the follicles are fertilized. The mass just evens itself out along the oviducts for the last third of the snake. If you are talking about a lump that mimicks ovulation at the time when she is pushing all the follicles forward and into her oviducts, making it look like a freshly eaten meal that lasts for three weeks..... then you have a problem and I would suggest ultrasounding the gut.

but she works very closely with international zoo vets and laboratories, so would already know all of this...

 

[cement]

. The swelling isn't in the chest region, but in the reproductive region on the snakes' body.

Or the digestive region.

 

[GoodGracious]

No, ovulation itself is a couple of days. But swelling should be present in some way, shape or form right through, if the follicles are fertilized. The mass just evens itself out along the oviducts for the last third of the snake. If you are talking about a lump that mimicks ovulation at the time when she is pushing all the follicles forward and into her oviducts, making it look like a freshly eaten meal that lasts for three weeks..... then you have a problem and I would suggest ultrasounding the gut.

Thanks cement, very useful info! I must admit she's thrown me as I've seen anything quite so pronounced as this in snakes I've bred before, but it's definitely very even. Going to get her checked out by our vet when he next visits anyway, just to be on the safe side.