Reptile & Amphibian Forums

To those guys/girls who have been doing this a while, do your older females still produce good viable litters?
Also, is there a age, generaly speaking, when you see thier reproductive capabilities start to diminish.
Whats the oldest producing female youve had etc.
Any input would be useful . Mostly cause I'm curious and My Sharp albino girl is going to be 9 this year.
She is 100% healthy, and has never had a single health issue, so I expect she may have another 9 years or more, if she keeps going the way she is.

Thats another question, how old is your oldest female, produing or not.

Thanks
Mike

I have a couple of older girls(9yrs old) both are working on litter number five this year and both have been with me since babies. I have not noticed any diminished ability in prodcution yet. I think it has a-lot to do with proper husbandry! If you give them the ideal husbandry/nutrition= long lifespan plus fertility. The sad part is that most breeders don't keep their adult females into old age they move them out for the next craze and sell off the adults as if they have no attachment to them. I have never sold a adult female that has produced for me. Once they produce for me I feel like I owe it to them to keep them no matter what the biz feels their worth.

You take good care of your animals and they will take good care of you!

Al Brown/Brown's Boas

Thats good to hear. I know what you mean by attachment. I had the chance to sell her a little over a year ago. I was offered like 6,500, i said no, i was then offered, 7,500 and i said yes. As soon as i did, i got this knot in my stomach, i was actually going to miss her. Then, i told the guy no, i couldnt do it, It just didnt feel right. He then offered over 9k and i still refused. Of course now that I am selling her, I wish I would have taken it, but thats the way it goes. It will be hard to sell an animal youve raised from a baby. But sometimes you have to make the hard choice. Thats cool your middle age boas are doing so well.
Thanks for your input.
Mike

No reason at all a boa of 20 yrs , shouldn't be able to breed if healthy. I know of a couple that had a litter in '06.
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Sublime Boa Constrictor

>>No reason at all a boa of 20 yrs , shouldn't be able to breed if healthy. I know of a couple that had a litter in '06.
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>>Sublime Boa Constrictor

That's good to know! I have a 15 year old female that I have yet to successfully breed(probably something I'm doing wrong) and a very aggressive male breeder. I'm hoping for babies this year but if not I will make a more serious effort next breeding season.

I have a big BCI female that is a 2000 animal and is big about 9'ft.long. She has had big healthy litters.

08' 45 babies
07' 43 babies
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Richard Ceniceros
Tap or take a nap

Hi Mike,

I bred a 14 year old virgin and in 2003 she had 34 live babies and 1 slug. I haven't bred her since that time, she is going to be 20 this year and I saw her have a pre-ov swell about 2 months ago (no male was introduced). She was a rescue and my first boa so I have no plans to ever breed her again but I believe she would still produce viable young.

This year I am breeding a 10 yr old, she had 18 viable young back in '06 and has already had her POS for this year. I also have an 10 yr old albino that I plan to breed again next year.

Good luck!
-April
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'There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness."' -Rainshadow

I appreciate your input, it was very good.
I was hoping to here from that bald guy from the frozen tundras of minnesota, I know he has bred some old boas in his day.

Thanks again all of you who replied.

Mike