Posted by:
Rextiles
at Sat Jan 19 16:56:07 2013 [ Email Message ] [ Show All Posts by Rextiles ]
So it sounds like one of the behaviors you'll watch out for is when the female appears less active/more relaxed? I know hogs that have recently fed well will slow down to digest, would that make for a good introduction point or would a full belly make a female less receptive?
Well, a full bellied female might not be as receptive, but in my opinion and what I practice is that's when I feel it is generally the safest time to introduce a male and to just leave him with the female perhaps for a week until the next feeding time. This way it gives the female time to recognize that the male is present and that he is not a food item. The problem I've had with females that have bitten into males up introduction is because the snakes are conditioned to the fact that when I generally open their tub, it's feeding time, so they often greet me with a gaping mouth ready for me to shove a mouse in their mouth. If this doesn't happen right away, they go after anything that moves, if that happens to be a male, then a bite can easily occur as a hungry female will bite first, ask questions later. But, if a female has a full belly and is relaxed, introduction of a male will elicit an entirely different reaction dependent on the receptiveness of the female, but she should react in a non-threatening I-want-to-eat-you kind of way.
You should also notice receptiveness in a male too. If the male shows interest in the female such as poking, smelling and chasing her, then the chances are good that he'll try to mount her. If he's not interested, he'll just cruise around his new surroundings maybe looking for a place to hide or get out. That doesn't necessarily mean he won't breed with her later, but generally most initally uninterested males won't breed. That's why I keep them together for at least a week, it gives both of them time to acclimate to each other and sometimes initially uninterested males become sexually interested within a few days.
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Troy Rexroth
Rextiles
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RE: Question for Troy - Rextiles, Sat Jan 19 16:56:07 2013