Reptile & Amphibian Forums

What's the "1.0.0 ball python" thing that some of ya'll have as your signatures signify?

Aaaaaand just 'cause I'm making a post anyway... First time breeder here. Correction, first time aspiring breeder here. I've owned a ball for fourteen years, recently got an adult male, and I wanted to breed them in the upcoming "season". I have done my research, have a pretty good idea of what I'm doing, but it never hurts to ask.
Any tips, pointers, for-the-love-of-god-don't-do-this comments? And is letting a female incubate her own eggs absolute taboo, and why? I have plenty of time to get/construct an incubator, but if I wanted to let her do it herself, will it leave her in horrid condition?

Any imput is greatly appreciated!

~jenny

Male.Female.unknown

lots of people let Mom do it .
-----
Vince Pramuk

Hi Jenny,
The left # is male, middle is female, & far right means unsexed.

If your female is 14 Y.O., I'm thinking she might be too old for a first litter. How many grams is she?
Beth

I brought her in with me to my local reptile shop so's I could get her probed and get my own kit, and the people I talked to there said that she'd probably be just fine. Might not have as many fertile eggs, but there was no reason she couldn't do it.
Not sure how many grams. My guess as to her weight is that it's a lil less than 5 pounds. She's a big, healthy gal.

1.0 is male, 0.1 is female , 0.0.1 is unknown. example if you had 3 males and 2 females it would be 3.2
Most breeders use a incubater so there female will have more time to get ready for next breeding season. Females will stop feeding when they are gravid. My girls averaged 3 months between there last meal and egg laying. If the female incubates the eggs that is another 2 months she sits on the eggs. No feeding. Thats 2 months she could be building for next year. But females have been doing just that millions of years without our help.
This is my first year breeding. It has been wild. 4 clutches laid. My last clutch pip today.( poked there heads out of the egg)23 new hatchlings. Good luck and may all your eggs be fertle.

Thank you for the advice! I'm not sure if I'll even attempt breeding again next year, or if I'll have another girl by then, it's still kind of up in the air depending on my school workload. And the cost of textbooks.
I know it's a "problem" when I weigh the cost of a new baby vs. the cost of a textbook and seriously contemplate borrowing the book until next paycheck.

thanks again!
~jenny