Ralph Davis Reptiles - The Martrix

BALL_PYTHON_LAYING_EGGS

It is not too often that I'm able to catch a female ball python in the act..........of laying her eggs............they usually always do it at night...........and I find them tightly coiled around a clutch of eggs the next morning.........

Here you can see that she has several eggs out..........and that the last egg is bulging at the base of her tail.......
She is in the process of laying eggs
This is the same "last egg" still inside of the female.....at a different view.......
The last egg is ready to pop out
Here she is contracting her muscles to push the last egg out ..........notice how thin the rest of her body is ............holding eggs..........and laying eggs really takes it's toll on a female ball python........

After laying the eggs...........the lower third of the females body is empty.......you can actually flatten them out.........

Most of my females will push the substrate in their cage to make a "nesting hole".........this is where they will keep the eggs after laying.......
She is contracting her muscles to push the last egg out
This is the last egg out...........after all the eggs are out............the female "gathers" them into a nice neat pile..........and she coils around them to protect and to incubate them........

Female ball pythons are very protective of their eggs..........and will not hesitate for a second to bite the owner who tries to disturb her..........:)
The last egg
Here is a female coiled around her beautiful clutch of eggs...........
A mom and her eggs