Reptile & Amphibian Forums

How big does a female need to be to breed? I was under the impression that the minimal weight should be no less than 1500g and the preferable weight be over 2000g - putting the female at about 3 years old.

Then some guy tried to tell me that his male and female normals were copulating - male was 850g and the female was 860g.

huh??
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...got balls?

graycat

Letting me live here:
2.2 normals
0.1 pie ball
1.0 hetpied
0.1 Suriname
? Common snapping turtle
? Alligator snapping turtle
1 Guinea pig
2 gold fish (turtle survivors)
3 pet rats and
3 cats
Oh yeah, and 3 children!

The males can & will copulate a small female, but at that size he is not going to get anything (the male is ready, but not the female). Females usually over 1000grams, and males around 600grams, and even less sometimes. I just seen on the classifieds (yesterday) a proven female 840grams (5 good eggs) & think its a bunch of BS.
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CB

This year we had an 1130g female lay and was 815g afterwards. So, Anything is possible, but we prefer to wait until the female is at least 1500g before breeding her.
PG EXOTICS-*UPDATED 6/17*

I didn't think about the fact that they may have weighed the snake after laying, and I have heard of females laying at just under 1000grams, but they were probably mature small animals that will never be big to begin with.

Thanks for the info.
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CB

"I post because I'm bored"

copulation is possible, but it doesn't mean the female will reproduce.
IMO that is irresponsible to encourage this interaction with an imature female. But they will lock up, seen it before.

I think Jeff said it best in one of the millions of "how big" posts. The weight is a general guideline not a written rule. the female may be 1500 grams 4'5" and skinny as hell, obviously not ready. or you could have a 1200 gram 3' plump little girl that is ready. understand the animal, not just the numbers.

TomChambers