Reptile & Amphibian Forums

So, my pair were finally caught in the act this morning (thanks to some advice from here). My question is should I continue feeding them? They haven't eaten in almost two weeks, but they seem very on guard and suspicious of each other after feeding. I don't want to mess them up now that they're going for it. Should I feed them, or just wait?

I feed my males about every 2 or 3 weeks when I catch them taking a break from each other. I don't feed my females durring breeding. I go with a size or so smaller than normal with my males so it doesn't take very long to digest. I want then working not digesting...

I have heard of many different techniques and I am sure you will get more but that is just how I do it. Good luck and glad to hear you caught them
-----

I want to feed him to keep his stamina up, but she has an incredibly strong feeding response. I'm afraid she'll smell it on him and freak out! Does this ever happen to anyone else? Thanks for the input!

You should separate them for feeding and not put him back in with her until he has had a couple (maybe three) days to digest. I never feed to snakes in the same enclosure.
-----

That makes good sense. I wouldn't make the mistake of feeding in the same enclosure...again. Did it once, very scary! Freaked me out LOL! It all turned out fine though.

After you keep the male out for a couple of days, does he seem to come back with renewed vigor? She seems like she's trying to entice him, and he seems reserved. I just don't want him out during some "window of opportunity"! Thanks again!

Sometimes this "window of opertunity" will go on for several months before you get an ovulation out of your female. I like the male to have the energy to "chase and court" for that entire time and for him not to loose the energy for the long haul. It is more like a vitimine instead of a jolt of caffine
-----

I continue to feed the males and females until they refuse food on their own. I offer food every 2 weeks and it's half what they normally get.

My females will continue to eat until the pre-ov swelling. Then they refuse food until after their POS. The normally will take only 1 more meal after the POS, then they won't eat again until after they give birth. I still offer them food every couple of weeks, but most times they refuse.

Most of my males will refuse food early in the breeding season. They won't eat again until after the females ovulate.

I keep them seperate for 2 hours, after feeding. Then I put them back together. I've never had any problems doing it this way.

They always go right back to breeding/courting within minutes.

Thanks! I really enjoy getting multiple points of view. When you say you give them half of normal, are you referring to size of food item? Do you feed her in the enclosure?

so, after the female becomes gravid, it is okay to still feed them? (or attempt to do so, anyway)

does the food affect the babies at all?

i was under the impression that feeding the female, while gravid, could cause problems? but maybe i was just reading wrong?

i'm planning on breeding my hogg islands next year, so i want to get everything right...

basically what i am asking is:

is it okay to try to feed females while they are gravid?
-----
0.1.0 Hogg Island Boa
0.1.0 Albino Columbian Boa
1.0.0 Carpet Python
0.0.1 Red Albino Cornsnake
0.0.1 Aberrant California Kingsnake
1.0.0 Greek Tortoise
1.0.0 Normal Leopard Gecko
1.0.0 Hypo Leopard Gecko
1.0.0 Leopard Toad
2.2.0 Dogs
1.2.0 Cats
1.0.0 Rabbit
1.0.0 Gerbil
....................................

Shed Your Fears!
www.freewebs.com/ShedYourFears

Once gravid, I feed what would amount to a small rat to my gravid females every 4 weeks or so (if they will take it). I stop feeding 6 weeks out from the estimated due date. Just a couple of small meals to keep them from running strictly off of their body fat reserves.

I have talked to a few people who don't feed at all and still others that feed normally until about a month out.
-----

If your female will take food it's OK to continue feeding. You just need to keep the meals "small". You should stop offering food 6 weeks before the due date.

My females have always stopped eating while gravid. They take one meal, after the POS. I offer them 1 large rat after the POS. Gestation takes a lot out of a female. That's why I offer half their normal meal after the POS. I also put my boas together fairly early in the season, so I want them to have that extra meal in them.

If my females were to continue eating while gravid, I'd probably cut back to offering them 1 medium rat every 2 weeks. Then I'd stop offering them food 6 weeks before their due date.

I normally feed my females 2 large rats every 2 weeks. When it's breeding season I offer them 1 large rat every 2 weeks.

My males only get 1 food item every 2-3 weeks. I just go one size down for the males. My males refuse food shortly after putting them in with the females. After my males refuse food twice, I stop offering.

I feed her in her enclosure. I put him back in his enclosure for feeding.

I clean my cages twice a week, so rat scent isn't a problem.