Disappointing Delivery

[Scott E.]

Miss Piggy, our WC Eastern gave birth this morning. The first 4 came out fine and healthy. However, she started delivering babies with kinks and it looks like compression injuries, as well as several slugs. A couple of the extras were stillborn, while the others were alive when born, but died shortly thereafter. Grand total, 4 healthy babies, 9 kinky/stilborn deaths, and 5 slugs. She did much better last year with 10 healthy and 2 stillborn. Any idea what would cause such a loss rate? We moved her from the big tank to a 20gal long maternity tank about 2 weeks ago, when she stopped taking food. Do you think that she didn't like the new tank and held on to them hoping for a better location and held them too long? I have heard talk about heat, but the undertank heater only keeps the tank in the mid to upper 70's. I guess she does like to burrow under the aspen on that end of the tank, but it is a low wattage unit and doesn't put out that much heat. Any thoughts on what we can do different next year to increase the yeild? Thanks for the assistance!

[bkhuff1s]

Sorry to hear this, and I'm completely unhelpful with these matters at the moment...

[guidofatherof5]

Do you think that she didn't like the new tank and held on to them hoping for a better location and held them too long? I have heard talk about heat, but the undertank heater only keeps the tank in the mid to upper 70's. I guess she does like to burrow under the aspen on that end of the tank, but it is a low wattage unit and doesn't put out that much heat. Any thoughts on what we can do different next year to increase the yeild? Thanks for the assistance!

First,
I doubt if it was anything you did. A little warmer area would be good for next year.
Is that 70's temp a ambiant temp for the whole tank or is that a temp at the heat source?
I take a temp under all heated hides and then I have a room temp I watch.

[Scott E.]

The room is air conditioned (my sons bedroom), so it gets in the mid 70's air temp. The heated end is 85 on the glass bottom of the aquarium. They spend alot of their free time on the bottom glass, burried under the aspen bedding.

[guidofatherof5]

The room is air conditioned (my sons bedroom), so it gets in the mid 70's air temp. The heated end is 85 on the glass bottom of the aquarium. They spend alot of their free time on the bottom glass, burried under the aspen bedding.

I don't see anything wrong with those temps.

[ConcinnusMan]

The one year I used undertank heaters for gravid females, I had a female give birth to all stillborns. They were nearly fully developed and came out looking like they had been squashed. I just figure garters love to bask under a basking lamp that simulates sunlight anyway, and that's all I use now. No litter problems. I'm not drawing any conclusions, it's just what I experienced and there does seem to be something similar happening with other keepers. I would avoid undertank heat at least while snakes are gravid, or place it vertically rather than under the tank.

[Mommy2many]

Congratulations on the birth of the live ones and sorry for the loss of the others.

[Scott E.]

Thanks for all of the replys. I will try the overhead heat next year.

[guidofatherof5]

Thanks for all of the replys. I will try the overhead heat next year.

I'm not sure you can throw the blame on the heat. Don't be so quick to blame yourself of this situation. There are a lot of other factors that could have caused this. Many, if not most that are out of your control.

[Odie]

There are a lot of other factors that could have caused this. Many, if not most that are out of your control.

4 out of 18 sounds like normal nature to me