Reptile & Amphibian Forums

If a male isn't producing sperm plugs, can he still breed. I have a yearling male who is big enough in size but hasn't produced these plugs. Is he still too young or what?

I'll let someone else on here who is a little more versed give you the final answer, but I never even worry about looking for sperm plugs. If its he's big enough, and wants to lock up with a female, he'll do it. A few people on here breed males when they're like, 400 some grams.
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Coolluigi

0.1 Pastel Pos Het Hypo
1.0 Pastel
1.0 Mojave Poss Het Hypo
1.0 Yellowbelly
1.0 Het Pied
0.4 Normal
0.1 Het Hypo
0.2 Spider
1.2 Het VPI Axanthic (Babies are getting bigger!!)
and soon to be more. *fingers crossed*

if he tries , he's good...

I never looked for plugs either....

that would be rude if they did that to you...?

LOL
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(I don't palpate either ,they either breed or not, and then lay or not...if you keep putting them together till she is setting on eggs, it's time to stop trying for the year)
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I'm not sure if the definition for BPs is different, but in the rest of the animal world, a Sperm Plug is a sticky and sometimes solid protein plug the male leaves behind in the female to prevent her from mating again. If Ball Pythons produced this, successful multiple pairings would be very rare.

I was under the impression that "sperm plugs" in most snakes were just the skin shed from the hemipenes. It doesn't indicate fertility or readiness to mate, just that the male's shed was complete.

VPI answered a question about sperm plugs a while ago:
VPI Mail Bag
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2.3 ball pythons
1.1 kingsnakes
0.1 crazy cat
?.? ASFs
1.0 husband

No, you are right. In balls the term generally has to do with the shed.
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Coolluigi

0.1 Pastel Pos Het Hypo
1.0 Pastel
1.0 Mojave Poss Het Hypo
1.0 Yellowbelly
1.0 Het Pied
0.4 Normal
0.1 Het Hypo
0.2 Spider
1.2 Het VPI Axanthic (Babies are getting bigger!!)
and soon to be more. *fingers crossed*

if you squeeze a males penes the plugs will pop out.....why they are there I don't know...I think of them as crusty plugged up junk left over from being ready to breed...in humans we call them wet spots on the sheets...???....

If a male chases a female...he is ready, plugs or not...some might be 6 months old and 350 grams...some might not chase girls for 2 years and weigh 1400 grams......it's all in the males head....

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I don't usually check for sperm plugs. I check weight.

If the male is 600 plus grams, I give him a try. Some will breed.....some will not. Just try. If he is not ready this year, then feed him well and have him ready to go next year.