Hello Brice,



This is a great question.

And the best answer...well, the most honest answer is...



Only time will tell.



Sometimes you have a girl who eats like a pig...never skips a beat...even eats while she is deep in shed...and without hesitation. Then, strangely...they suddenly stop.

This often occurs at the 500 - 800 gram range. Some people have referred to it as "Hitting The Wall". It is common.

(I have a theory about this "WALL". I think it has to do with the changing of the cage size parameters.)

They just plain stop feeding. And it seems that nothing you try will change their minds. They will not feed consistently again until they decide they are ready. It can be very frustrating for the keeper.

Sometimes you can trick them into going back to their old bottomless gut-like ways by using an African Soft Furred Rat....sometimes that won't even work.

Time.

Time is often the only answer. They must decide to start again.



But on the other hand, once in a while you get that AWESOME female who WANTS to Grow! Grow! Grow! These girls will often be ready before you had originally expected them to do the deed.



Some females, which are good feeders, tend to grow long and lean initially. They often take a little longer to produce eggs regardless of their weight or age. But when they do produce...they usually have larger clutches of eggs in their first season to breed.



Other good feeding girls are shorter and stouter. These girls will often breed earlier than the long lean body types. But usually they lay smaller clutches of larger/heavier sized eggs.



As the animals continue to mature the clutch sizes tend to sort of average out...regardless of their youthful body types.



I wish you the best with your female.

Just try NOT to be in such a hurry to breed the animal that you subject it to unnecessary risks. Wait a year when in doubt. A live healthy female with one more year of growth is always worth more than a female who does not survive, due to stress from an over zealous keeper who is intent on breeding it "asap".



Even if a young snake breeds early and survives...the time needed to replenish her reserves and get her back into breeding condition could require you to postpone breeding her the next season...or even two. Depends on how fast she bounces back.

It all depends on the individual animal.



In general, my opinion is that it is wise to be conservative with the young females.



Now young males....that can be a different story.

PROPERLY MANAGED, a young male can do a decent job as a breeder without putting his health at risk. Again it is up to the individual animal in question.



Hope that answer (although long and drawn out) was helpful.

Best wishes on your projects.



Your friend,

Harlin Wall - WALL TO WALL REPTILES!

970-245-7611

970-255-9255

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