Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have a pair of coastals at a good age and weight for breeding. I've been cooling them since mid October. I've introduced them a few times during the last month just to "see what happens". They are always curled up together but no obvious interest in copulation.

Question #1. Are they more likely to copulate after I start warming them back up? I was thinking about warming them sometime in January.

Question #2. I saw an old post that said you can sometimes stimulate the male to breed by "scratching" around his vent. The post said that males sometimes do this to each other when in combat. Is this true?

Question #3. If I don't see obvious copulation, is it worth trying to get a shed from another male? I only have one male, myself. Anyone near Southwest Ohio got a spare shed to share?

Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!

I can't say that I've introduced males into female enclosures as early as October, but from different carpet forums I participate on, it doesn't seem to matter - if you've got a mature male in with a mature female, most of the time you should see some type of action.

I went back and looked at my logs, and I have very rarely noted a male introduced to a females enclosure and nothing happening, and definitely after a few introductions SOMETHING occurs. At very least you'd get an excited male trying to copulate.

...the times I've noted where I've seen 'no activity' between a pair, is when one of them wasn't the sex I thought it was and I was introducing a female into another female's enclosure. Are you positive you have a pair? It's pretty common to incorrectly sex carpet pythons.

...by mid December, I usually always get copulations if I introduce a male to a female. So I don't think it's a seasonal thing. I'd imagine they're either 1) not a pair or 2) not mature enough?? How old are your pythons?

Shea Peterson
www.petersonreptiles.com

Hi Shea,

Thanks so much for your advice. I appreciate it. Actually, I was wondering how possible is it that I may actually have two females. One is from a breeder whom I trust and was said to be female. The other was purchased as a baby with no sex stated, but was later probed by a vet who said it was a male. I may consider having them both probed again if I don't see anything happening later.

The "male" is seven years old and never attempted breeding. The female is five years old. Both are healthy and good weight. If anything, the male is overweight. He's a big one; almost 9 feet and quite heavy. But then again, maybe he's a big fat girl! LOL

Thanks,

John