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When to pair animals after brumation?

prprjp Mar 01, 2007 11:55 AM

Hi everyone - I'm about to bring my hogs out of brumation (they've been down since December) and was wondering when to introduce males to females.

I was planning on feeding heavily until the females first shed and then pairing up after that, but a lcoal breeder mentioned that a female hogs first shed after brumation is typically their pre-lay shed. I haven't experienced this in other colubrids I breed and wanted to check with the experts to make sure I wasn't missing something with the hogs

Thanks for any advice.
Regards, Ryan

Replies (2)

Unhinged Mar 01, 2007 12:33 PM

I have a successful breeding pair of westerns. I have had luck pulling them out of brumation, and instantly reintroducing them to the same enclosure. I feed them both the day after reintroducing and breeding usually occurs a day or 2 after feeding. I keep them together for about a week before seperating. This is the 3rd year I've had them successfully breed.
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1:1 Heterodon nasicus (western hognose)
1:1 Lampropeltis getula splendida (desert kingsnake)
1:0 Lampropeltis triangulum celaenops (new mexico milksnake)
0:1 Lichanura trivirgata (desert rosy boa)
1:0 Hypsiglena torquata deserticola (nightsnake)
2:0 Pain in the ass cats
1:0 Golden lab
2:1 kids

markg Mar 02, 2007 03:55 PM

I know you asked a simple question that may have a cookbook, caresheet answer, but perhaps you should take this opportunity to try and get away from the cookbook approach.

Just put them together and see what happens, then go from there. Or maybe try a larger cage and see if the pair likes to stay near one another, or mates on a few occasions rather than just once. They (the snakes) know when to mate and how and why better than any caresheet or even human breeder of hognoses does. Let the snakes tell you when rather than you telling them when.

It may turn out that the cookbook approach gets the required result generally, and that may be all that you want or need. In that case, ignore my post

I don't know much about Western hognose in the wild. For example, does a male happen on a female in Spring, mate if she is willing, then they both go their separate ways? Or, does a pair court for awhile, or stay within a vicinity and mate on a few occasions until the female's instincts let her know the job is done? Are there usually multiple males involved?
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Mark

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