Reptile & Amphibian Forums

In your experiences...
How big should a male be during his first breeding season? I know that male colombians are supposed to be at least 18 months before they are considered sexually mature, but about how big are they at this point? I have a male that will be just over 18 months old at the beginning of this next breeding season, but even though he eats like a pig, he seems small. He's about 14 months old now and he's probably about 2 1/2 to 3 feet long.

I know it would be pointless to increase his feedings since obese males produce more slugs, but how big are most of your males during their first successful breeding season? Do males usually grow much slower than females?

Any advice welcome,
~Kasey

From what I've seen and read, maturity is more important than size. At 3ft, he can breed if he is mature enough. You could give it a try, or wait until next season.

As for size, some individuals just grow faster than others. He seems on track to me. You might want to make sure that he does not have any parasites, but if he is clean then his growth pattern is just fine. From what I understand, smaller is better in some ways. Larger males can intimidate some females.

Travis
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Travis Rose
Lazy S Snake Ranch
(859) 582-7310
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1.0 Toddler (WC...still bites and musks)

Thanks! I've looked all through books and websites and could never find any info on how big males are during their first breeding season. I always heard that age is more important than size with males... but there's got to be a limit. This boy still has a good 4 or 5 months to grow before I try to breed him (he'll be about 19 months then) but my albino female is MASSIVE compared to him and she'll only be 4 years old. If males can breed at three feet though, this guy is definitely on track for this season.

I was honestly worried that the male would be intimidated by the female!

Thanks again,
~kasey