Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My pair of blackheaded pythons looks like they might be mating, but I never catch them. How long do they copulate for? Some of my snakes breed for 15 hours so theres no way to miss it when it happens. Are bhps like that or is it pretty quick?

Steve, you may just be witnessing the male trying to breed, but the female not letting him. Mine normally lock up for a while but I have seen shorter breeding's also. You can't miss the females ovulation though she will swell up like she swallowed a football. How old are they?

Yes, it seems like its the male trying to breed but she isnt trying to get away. I just havent seen him succeed yet. They are 4 years old and are about 7 feet. I havent done anything special with them other than just to let them cool off as fall comes.

Steve, its normally the warming up after the cooling period that triggers ovulation. If you are just introducing the male at different times they will breed all year long, but getting the female to ovulate is the key to getting eggs. This is what has worked for me in the past for my blackheads, womas and other pythons. She will just lay there and let him spur her but may not be receptive to breeding.

OOPS that was the wrong picture! Here is what I meant to post.

I bought my pair in 04 as hatchlings from the Bells at Daytona. Male is about 7', female is over 8' and 15lbs. I understand most ovulating occurs in January. I'll start cooling down late this month. Got a scare this week (last Sunday) when I left the sliding glass door open a bit and the female got out into my rather junky basement. Found her Thursday eve under a bank of cages next to the heat tape from that cage. Whew...... She was still at 75 degrees.
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1.1 Blackheaded pythons
1.0 Woma
2.1 Aussie Olives
1.1 Timors
1.0 Angolan Juvie
1.1 Savu
1.1 Juvie Bloods
1.1 Juvie Balls
1.1 IJ Carpets
1.1 Coastal Carpets
1.2 Macklotts
1.1 Papuan Olives
1.0 Jungle Carpet
2.2 Scrubs (on breeding loan)
0.1 Jungle/Diamond cross
0.1 child, CB
0.1 wife, WC

Wow, glad you got her! I think the breeding depends allot on location and temps. In south FL (Bells area also) its hard to get the cool temps until December and January. Your female may make you wait another year. My female only went at four years old and another three year old did not go last year. Good luck though its worth trying. Tom

Those are interesting...

Maybe I have had my head under a rock but I don't think I've ever seen or heard of axanthic black heads before. If that is what those are could you tell us more about them?

cheers

Yes, that is what they are. I produced three Axanthics out of a clutch of ten eggs. They are the only ones that I know of that have been produced in the USA. There is a another gentleman in the UK that has also produced some and is currently working with them. I ahave my fingers crossed and I am hoping for more this season!!

Tom..did you have them at Daytona this year? If so, we met

BHs have bred at 18 mos, but it's rare.
-----
1.1 Blackheaded pythons
1.0 Woma
2.1 Aussie Olives
1.1 Timors
1.0 Angolan Juvie
1.1 Savu
1.1 Juvie Bloods
1.1 Juvie Balls
1.1 IJ Carpets
1.1 Coastal Carpets
1.2 Macklotts
1.1 Papuan Olives
1.0 Jungle Carpet
2.2 Scrubs (on breeding loan)
0.1 Jungle/Diamond cross
0.1 child, CB
0.1 wife, WC

Congrats on the good luck! Those guys are pretty sweet. Could you post some pics of the parents? Where did they come from?

I don't know, for some reason I never thought of black heads as becoming a big morph species. Now it looks like snows are just around the corner! Haha

great snakes..

Well, there's the pair of albinos in the Netherlands, but I heard one was in the US, now.
-----
1.1 Blackheaded pythons
1.0 Woma
2.1 Aussie Olives
1.1 Timors
1.0 Angolan Juvie
1.1 Savu
1.1 Juvie Bloods
1.1 Juvie Balls
1.1 IJ Carpets
1.1 Coastal Carpets
1.2 Macklotts
1.1 Papuan Olives
1.0 Jungle Carpet
2.2 Scrubs (on breeding loan)
0.1 Jungle/Diamond cross
0.1 child, CB
0.1 wife, WC

if there arent any albinos here yet there will be any day.

Anerythristic albino and viola... snow!

Most of the pics I have are too large for here. This is one (that was not too large) of the female that produced the Axanthics, she does not look different. I had also heard that rumor that one of the albino's was here but I was emailed by the gentleman that produced them and he still has both in his possession in the Netherlands. Hopefully, they will make it here in the future though!

Jaykis, yes I was in Daytona with the Axnathics. This is a pic of a nice red female BHP I hope to breed this year.

I think you and I talked about the albinos....the pics of them are amazing. And they hatched 2 albinos out of a clutch of 7!
-----
1.1 Blackheaded pythons
1.0 Woma
2.1 Aussie Olives
1.1 Timors
1.0 Angolan Juvie
1.1 Savu
1.1 Juvie Bloods
1.1 Juvie Balls
1.1 IJ Carpets
1.1 Coastal Carpets
1.2 Macklotts
1.1 Papuan Olives
1.0 Jungle Carpet
2.2 Scrubs (on breeding loan)
0.1 Jungle/Diamond cross
0.1 child, CB
0.1 wife, WC