Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Okay this is my first season breeding. I have had many upon many very good locks over the past month. I am wondering about how long it will be until I could possibly expect eggs? I am very excited and trying to ask as many questions now for I can do everything correctly, and not be running around like a chicken with its head cut off when the eggs arrive. Thanks hope everybody is having a great season! -Matt

Matt - get VPI's book. I know it is expenseive but it is worth it. It is awesome and you will read it over and over.

http://www.vpi.com/pythons_of_the_world_vol_2_0

They go into very detailed steps on what to expect....

Also I like Markus' web site. Here is a pictorial of what to expect when breeding....

http://www.ballpython.ca/gallery/breeding.html

You'll likely see eggs in 2009 sometime between January - December most like in the spring or summer but sometimes they like to mess with your head. Be patient follow the signs.
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Tosha
JET Pythons
Toshas Blog

lots of luck but i have a question for you? did you cool them? thanks .

where I am from I didnt have to cool them the temperature fluctuates enough in my home during the winter months. Although I try to maintain a constant temp its hard to during these months

The temps in your habitats should only fluctuate when you want them to. What types of setups are you using? I've found that success in breeding most herps requires more money in equipment than animals. Years ago I would purchase a herp then try and make it's habitat work the best I could with the limited funds remaining, and have found through experience that you're gonna do 100 times better investing in quality, racks, heating, thermostats, timers, and lastly an expensive guide such as Kevins, or the Barker's (better yet both) first then aquire your animals.I had three ball clutches in 2007 and 21 in 2008 using that strategy. I can't stress enough the importance of using the best equipment you can afford to the point of having empty cages ready to go until you have the funds to purchase your herps.
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Primeval-Beauty
"Finding beauty where other's fear to tread"

thanks I have good equipment, and I said the temp fluctuates in my house not my racks, Thanks for your concern though

If the temps only fluctuate in your house, but not your rack, why do you say you don't need to cool them?

why do people keep saying they need to be cooled?

they don't

......shorter light cycles actually works better

....and in winter it's drier....so they know it's actually winter around here....

and temps will fluctuate......

...balls don't need ""cooled"".....lots of snakes actually don't......

not fighting....just wonder why alot of people in here say to cool balls.....

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Hey Matt, whats up! My name is Bob and I live here in PITTSBURGH. I also don't have to cool down, but I lower the temps in my racks and that works great for me. I have had many locks also to date! Very excited about my pieds breeding,this is the first year for them. Can help you out with any questions you have on breeding because I have been doing it for a long time. If you live in the area we should meet up so I can show you my setup and possibly help you out with yours if you would like. THANKS, BOB

hey Bob I am a couple hours from you but that sounds great if I am ever in the area I will have to stop in and say hi. Could you tell me how long after I notice locks that I should expect eggs?

Balls are pretty seasonal. They mate in the winter and lay in the spring and summer. Some start a little earlier than others, some later.

The girls will start to glow and build follicles late winter/early spring. They ovulate, shed and then 30 or so days later you have eggs. Then 60 or so days later they hatch.

The best advice I ever recieved was watch your snakes and learn what they are telling you by their behavior.

thanks that was great advice

Look at Caseys post above -- all his animals were cycled and bred at the same time -- yet he has a 9 month difference between his clutches.

Your females are on a cycle -- your job is to make sure when they are ready to breed there is a male there, when they are ready to fertilize they have sperm. All it takes is one lock at just the right time -- or several over a longer time frame and there is still the possibility they breed 100 times and still don't go at all.
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Tosha
JET Pythons
Toshas Blog

as you can tell by the post of new hatchilings....after breeding now (all winter) they will lay starting in June and all the way till October...so you can expect eggs whenever the female darn well feels like it......LOL......really......

(June to August is normal)
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LOL......

If your cage temps are let's say in the 90's and the room Is in 50's they will feel that ?

Im not positive but I would think so, if you were in a sterilite tub and it was 90 and on the other side of that thin sterilite plastic tub it was 75, I think I could feel the difference, maybe not though. anyways thanks

Their are times when I have snakes breeding for months, its all up to how fast the female develops her follicals. You know how picky females can get! lol Good Luck with breeding this year!!!!!THANKS, BOB

Thanks for your input

i have had locks all the way from november to march, but somehow all the laying have been from june to august. so i'd say the time between an actual mating and egg laying varies, but in MY CASE it seems to be between four to six months.
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