Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have two breeding pairs - 1st time for all. One pair copulated on 10/26 and 10/29. I put the male in twice since then but witnessed no further action.

The second pair copulated on 11/9, 11/17, and are tied up as I type this.

I usually travel 3 days, 2 nights a week on biz. and am hopeful to witness the females ovulating. While I'm gone my 13 year old son will be my eyes and ears. As a general rule, if any of these pairings are successful, when would be the time to be on the lookout for ovulation? I know this is an inexact science but if I can get a general idea I can adjust my schedule or put him on "high alert".

Thanks,

Bill

Bill, you should watch for ovulation about 30 days after your female begins to fast. This isn't always the indicator, but in my experience it's a very good sign of things to come. Also the hormonal color shift from green to blue and the flattening of the head(you'll know when you see it). As long as they're still eating.....feed'em. They'll tell you when they're getting ready. Good luck.

Brandon Osborne

Thanks Brandon!

Thats the kind of input I was looking for! Well, as of now their has increased to the point of being ridiculous. Both react every night when I'm in the room - come right off the perch to the front of the cage - they've never done this before!

Is an increased appetite typical? Of course the higher the body weight the better off they'll be if I get lucky and they both choose to incubate. I only wish my Northern Emeralds were this easy! LOL

Bill

No problem Bill. You'll begin to see how easy chondros are very soon. The real work comes with getting babies feeding on things that don't have the instinct to feed on in the wild. I also forgot to mention, you'll notice your females swelling up and rolling their sides up while perching. This can fool a first timer into thinking it's ovulation. When ovulation occurs, it appears as though they've just eaten a HUGE meal and they will shift as thought they can't get comfortable. In most cases this will last 24-36 hours. Some say less, but this has been pretty consistent with my animals. Again, good luck and post some pics of the events if possible. I've included pics of a couple of ovulations and a maternal hatching just for kicks.

Thanks
Brandon Osborne

Thanks again Brandon!

As always you've provided simple and to-the-point advice! Since when did you start feeding your females piglets?? LOL! My son and I will be on the lookout. As an aside, as I mentioned earlier, the one female (younger) only responded to two copulations whereas the larger female has been bred three times. Does disinterest represent anything positive from the couplings? I'm assuming they'll thwart the males courtship once gravid or do I need to pipe in some Barry White along w/some Tequila shooters to get her back in the mood?? LOL.

Bill

Very nice looking pair Bill! As far as breeding activity goes, I'm sure 2 copulations will do the trick, but it's always good practice to keep cycling them together until you see the female "showing signs". If your male acts like he needs a break, just seperate them for a few days. Usually when the job is done though, they will seperate to opposite ends of the cage. The first year will play tricks on you so don't sweat it. Just remember not to raise your temps too high. IMHO, this will kill any sperm stored by the female that fertilizes the eggs as she pushes them into the oviducts. What am I saying? You're doing fine and should have great results.

Happy Thanksgiving
Brandon Osborne

Thanks again and Happy Holidays to you as well! It's looking like a banner year for me. Chondros, Scrubs, and Tiger Rats are all breeding! 'Course w/the Tiger Rats its alot easier - just a giant Colubrid but man are they the coolest! Courtship/copulation is not so subtle as the Morelia, more like a drunken frat party! The whole cage is trashed!

Bill