OK I am following you....but....and is there not always a but? But I must ask since you used to house colonies together. Did the snakes not all breed around the same time? And what about the timing of the females and pheremones? You are making me think....be it wrong or not...that snakes will breed at any given time. In other words if I am following you, you are saying I am preventing them from breeding by not introducing them....but when is the right, or the wrong time to try this? I will tell you for my proven adults I am on the regular old schedule. This suits me fine. However a young snake, like one of my 4 foot yearlings....these were far from this size in spring. So I chose not to let the male come in contact with them. I guess what I am asking is this. Are you telling me my yearling female should or will release the pheremone when I introduce the male? Or possibly the male could care less about pheremones and he will want to get busy? I have seen large females that were not at all receptive to a male til they were ready. And also males ignore females that appeared ready. So try and try again is acceptable in my book, but you are giving me the impression that this is easier than that...and I am asking you why? My husbandry is fairly basic and you know I can only get so much of a gradient...and my cages are only so big. I am trying to make sure I fully understand you, but I am also getting on here in between the 50 things I have to do every day....so I have not much time to thoroughly think things through. I certainly will reread everything. But for now I am trying to make sure I am not overlooking the points you are trying to make. Thanks Tom Stevens

[ Show Entire Thread ]