Reptile & Amphibian Forums

so tonight I decided to introduce my male brooks to my female T-Lav brooks. Having never chaperoned such an event, I was more than a littl nervous. However, nervousness turned to amusement when I saw my large male get all flustered. She was performing some jerky movements, and he seemed just plain confused. And just like an 8th grade dance, they both made their way to opposite ends of the aquarium where they 'watched" each other with obvious suspicion. He rattled his tail a bit, while she kept up the jerkiness. After about 10 minutes, I carefully removed her back to her own cage.

The questions i have are:

were her movements indicative of mating habits, or was it just fear?

Should i have given them more time together? Should I have turned out the lights and left? There were no suggestions of considering each other food.

should I repeat daily until they get comfortable with each other, or wait a while?

Why would a much larger male be so scared of the female?

Thanks for your input!
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1.0 C/B Brooks
0.1 C/B Lavender brooks
0.0.1 W/C Scarlet King
0.0.1 W/C Eastern Milk
0.0.1 W/C Yellow Rat
0.0.1 W/C Western Garter
1.0 C/B Black Lab
1.0 C/B Min. PoodleXAmer. Eskimo hybrid
1.0 C/B Goofy Cat
1.2 C/B Children
0.1 W/C wife

In my very limited experience breeding snakes, when the females twitched and jerked a lot, they were unwilling to breed and would try very hard to get away from the males. In contrast, with the successful breedings, the male mounted the female pretty quickly, without much struggle, and the female sat there and took it, without moving all that much.

If they retreating to opposite ends of the cage for long periods of time, then they are probably not ready yet and you can separate them and try again in a few days..

BUT, jerky/twitchy movement is 100% normal mating behavior and a sign that your animals are ready to breed. Put them together again and wait it out a little longer.

Good luck and keep us posted on your/their progress

~ Mike Russo

...give 'em some time, dim the lights, a little Barry White...

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Diego

SWCHR

do I need to stay nearby in case one gets hungry? Or, would that danger be apparent right away?
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1.0 C/B Brooks
0.1 C/B Lavender brooks
0.0.1 W/C Scarlet King
0.0.1 W/C Eastern Milk
0.0.1 W/C Yellow Rat
0.0.1 W/C Western Garter
1.0 C/B Black Lab
1.0 C/B Min. PoodleXAmer. Eskimo hybrid
1.0 C/B Goofy Cat
1.2 C/B Children
0.1 W/C wife

After you have Barry White (real name Barrence Carter)playing on your 8track you better keep a close on these two.If nothing happens you may have to try some Donna Summer.
If by chance those snakes were part of the "Disco Sucks" generation you may have to try AC/DC's "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap"

Good Luck
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"Wake me when its April"

Doug L

Strangely, they prefer Ratt!

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1.0 C/B Brooks
0.1 C/B Lavender brooks
0.0.1 W/C Scarlet King
0.0.1 W/C Eastern Milk
0.0.1 W/C Yellow Rat
0.0.1 W/C Western Garter
1.0 C/B Black Lab
1.0 C/B Min. PoodleXAmer. Eskimo hybrid
1.0 C/B Goofy Cat
1.2 C/B Children
0.1 W/C wife

....what? No Whitesnake?
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1.0.0 Lampropeltis getula holbrooki
0.1.0 Lampropeltis getula californae
0.0.1 Lampropeltis getula nigra
1.0.0 Lampropeltis mexicana thayeri
2.3.0 Eublapharis macularius macularius
0.0.2 Rhacodactylus ciliatus
0.1.0 Gerrhosaurus major major

I have that CD.. I nearly wore it out back in college!

~ Mike Russo

>>Strangely, they prefer Ratt!
>>
>>-----
>>1.0 C/B Brooks
>>0.1 C/B Lavender brooks
>>0.0.1 W/C Scarlet King
>>0.0.1 W/C Eastern Milk
>>0.0.1 W/C Yellow Rat
>>0.0.1 W/C Western Garter
>>1.0 C/B Black Lab
>>1.0 C/B Min. PoodleXAmer. Eskimo hybrid
>>1.0 C/B Goofy Cat
>>1.2 C/B Children
>>0.1 W/C wife
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Thanks,

Frank Roberts

Not sure if you waited til she was ovulating. Generally, you bring up the female and get a few meals into her and she sheds. Take the shed and put it in with the male, if he acts properly add the female, if she isnt ovulating he will tell you. Leaving them together at this time would be a mistake. But just realize its NOT the brumation that stimulates the male but the pheremones of the ovulation cycle, good luck.

I don't brumate my critters, even though they did slow down a lot this winter. How do you determine when ovulation takes place?
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1.0 C/B Brooks
0.1 C/B Lavender brooks
0.0.1 W/C Scarlet King
0.0.1 W/C Eastern Milk
0.0.1 W/C Yellow Rat
0.0.1 W/C Western Garter
1.0 C/B Black Lab
1.0 C/B Min. PoodleXAmer. Eskimo hybrid
1.0 C/B Goofy Cat
1.2 C/B Children
0.1 W/C wife

here comes the palpate thread...lol.
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Todd Hughes