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Ok so I have a few females that are on the edge of being a good size or being just a little too small. All of these females are around the 500 gram range and are eating like crazy right now after having their first and second post-brumation sheds.

Are these females too small at 500 grams? Should I wait another year? They are all 3 years old or so...

Comments on weight and age for breeding are much appreciated!
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Does an open mind let more in?

500 is more than large enough and with them being 3 years old they should all go.
Good luck,
Shannon

Thanks Shannon. I figured 500 was enough... and I am guessing they will all break the 600 gram mark once the end of May rolls around...

Another question for ya, should I be seeing copulation quite soon after introduction or does it generally take a few hours before they lock up? How long does copulation generally last?

Thanks!
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Does an open mind let more in?

Generally, the females are receptive and are in ovulation 3-14 days after shedding. I usually introduce a female honduran to the male inside the male's habitat (but some put both in a big plastic rubbermaid container) to mate. If the female is "ripe" for mating, she gives off pheromone and the male will quickly pick that scent up. She will let the male hop unto him (sometimes he will do some "jerking" (known to some herpetologists as courting the female) to stimulate her. The interest of the male should be immediate if not about less than a couple of minutes. If he is not on top of her in about ten minutes, either she is not giving off the pheromone or is not in ovulation or both. If she is not ready, she might also violently flip her tail in an attempt to totally discourage him.

But once the dancing our courtship happens, the lock up usually occurs anywhere from a minute (for experienced males) to about 15 minutes for first timers. Once locked up, they will be motionless for about half an hour.

Hope this helps.

Ray

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RAY - "Laziness is nothing more than a habit of resting before getting tired!"

Ray, thank you so much for this detailed post. This really does help! Wish me luck!!

Thanks!!!
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Does an open mind let more in?

Good luck man. Keep us posted. A lot of my females have already mated and pretty jazzed about this season already.

Regards,

Ray

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RAY - "Laziness is nothing more than a habit of resting before getting tired!"

Thanks! Well I have some larger females that have already shed twice and I have introduced males to them but I have yet to see any LOCK UPS... only courting as you described above!

Perhaps I was not leaving them together long enough or maybe peeking in too often!

I will continue to feed and re-introduce them again in a few days. Perhaps my trouble was that I was introducing my male into the females bin and not vice-versa?
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Does an open mind let more in?

Both methods (introducing female to male or vice versa) work. But personally, most of my males prefer to mate in their own domain. I get the males more excited that way because all they focus on are the females and not the new environment. The females will have no choice but to surrender because they are out of their comfort zone and if they are ovulating, they will surely give in to the male advances.

Also, try to keep out of sight of them when you are observing. They can detect movements easily and may get distracted.

Thanks,

Ray

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RAY - "Laziness is nothing more than a habit of resting before getting tired!"

I'm by no means an expert or even experienced for that matter ... but this year I have made a few attempts for courtship and I'll explain a little about the results.

First of a tip from an experienced friend, introduce the male and give them 1-2 days together (when the female is ready of course - go by the 1-2 shed system).. then take him away for 1-2 days ... repeat this for a week or however long you feel is necessary - you should see them lock up pretty much within a couple hours of introducing during each of those times. The extra visits ensure that the male is doing his job.

With this method I witnessed a couple lockups but did not bother them enough to see the actual hemipenis. I saw enough action from them that I will cross my fingers and wait for eggs after the next shed.

I have also introduced a couple other pairs but nothing positive. One young (small) male is ready and willing to go and will not eat but no girls will accept him. He twitches like crazy but the girls just flick him away with their body. I'll try again every couple weeks or so.

My larger males don't quite seem to be ready yet. Hoping they will go soon because I have some serious plans for them!

Jawn,

Thanks for your reply. This is basically what I am doing too. On the days when they are apart I am feeding the females and some males are still eating too.

I will continue to introduce and feed and keep my fingers crossed, thanks for the input!

E
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Does an open mind let more in?