Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Would you breed a female thats 19 months old if she's 1400 grams? I have several females that are in thier second year that are around the 1400 gram mark.

I've got a couple in that range I'm going to try. Alan Bosch told me they do fine...just have to expect fewer eggs.
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Dale....dgoins222@yahoo.com

I bred mine at the same age and size last year. 4 out of 6 laid eggs. Five eggs each and all but one hatched. The girls are doing fine, slamming rats and gaining their weight back nicely. A couple are ready to breed again already.

Chris

I WOULD

JOHN
ZInger REptiles
I GOT BALLZ!!!

I wouldn't. I have a 30 month old female who is 1200g which I have decided not to breed, even though she is old enough, she isn't heavy enough. As egg production/laying does take alot out of females, I rather wait till I get her up to weight before breeding her. I may try a late season breeding if she gets the weight out (would have had the weight easy if she didn't decide to get finicky and not eat much in the last 5 months).

Giving the size and age of your female, she may successfully conceive and have eggs. However, from what i have read and heard, second year bred females tend to have smaller clutches and higher chance of infertile eggs. The question then moves from whether you should bred to is it worth it? If you do breed her, she may drop say, 4 good eggs, hopefully not loose more than 100-200g of weight and get right back into eating as soon as you remove the eggs from her to incubate. However, if everything isn't perfect, say she takes a long time to get back eating after laying eggs, not all eggs hatch or are good at laying, or she never becomes gravid, you would have spent all that time cooling her, breeding her and hoping for eggs, for nothing or a very small gain. Yet, if you continued to feed her throughout the winter, she can easy put on another 500G or more and be 1900g for next season with a much higher chance of getting a large clutch and healthy eggs that all hatch.

Hence, breed this season, get 2-3 hatchlings, or wait next season, maybe get as many as 6-8 hatchlings.

Just my view on the topic based on what I have read both here and and elsewhere. As I haven't bred any snakes yet, I don't consider myself an expert in this field.
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PHLdyPayne

I know hat you mean, I have one 2year old girl thats pushing 900 grams and I would really love for her to be ready by spring.

Shes and insane eater and I think I could probably get her in range by then, but if I spend the spring cyling her and she either doesnt go, has and infertile or very small clutch what then? It will be next summer and I might be in the same boat weight wise with her as now?

Thats why I'm just gonna tough it out with her and wait unless she packs on huge weight in the next 4 months.

Alan

There are several things to consider aside from just weight when it comes to your females - if you have a 1400 gram female - how long is she? A 1400 gram female that is 36-40 inches long may have enough fat reserves to reproduce but a 1400 gram female that is over 40 inches probably doesn't. On top of that you're looking at age - under 2 years - she'll likely breed - but you have a 50/50 chance that she is mature enough to produce follicles, fertilize them and ovulate. Unless you have an ultrasound at your disposal - you could be wasting your males on females that won't produce.

People have bred smaller and younger snakes - it can be done -- but then again people have also bred their snakes literally to death -- so use caution and put your snakes health before your potential gain.

Good luck!!
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Tosha

Grate post Tosh. I couldent have said it better. David

actually I bred a spider to a pastel for the last 2 days.she's around 1400 grams maybe.....well..close.......

I looked at her card today while friends were here....

hhhhmmmmmmmm.......she's 13 months old......

......she'll be fine........so will yours
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