Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I've been breeding snakes for 20 years and ball pythons for about 12 years. By ball pythons breeding system is textbook and the outcome is predictable with one exception. I have a pied male which I had paired up with a het-pied female. Both are five years old and the female is huge. I'm concerend since this has now been the second season in a row that I didn't produce any eggs from her? They copulated all winter/spring. I was going to pair them up with different mates next season to see if it may specifically be the male or female but has anyone experienced this before?

Thanks,

Tom

We don't have any males like that, but one female het pied of ours has now gone two seasons in a row without producing eggs. We know it isn't the male (pied, since he has produced multiple good clutches with several females.
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Brad Chambers
WWW.HCU-TX.ORG

The Avalanche has already started-it is too late for the pebbles to vote....

Your system may be "textbook" but keep in mind we are dealing with living creatures that are not always aware of our desires for them to eat, sleep, breed, etc.
They're not stamps.
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www.strictlyballs.ca

You mention that the female is "huge". Remember, that just like humans, animals that are overweight are less likely to ovulate. Look at females coming in from the wild. Few would ever match the weights we get them to in captivity. I would recommend you put the female on a crash diet and try again next year.
By the way, that Pied is stunning.

Warren
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Dr Warren Booth / Director USARK
North Carolina State University
Department of Entomology

I had a female 100% het albino breed 3 seasons in a row without a single egg. I knew the male was fine. Finally, on her 4th season, she produced. She was 1900 grams when I started breeding her. It happens.
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Jay A. Martin
Jay Martin Reptiles

i have a normal male that has produced babies with several females. I paired him with another normal and for two seasons she didn't lay eggs after I confirmed they had mated several times. last season she (with the same male) produced six eggs. This season I am still waiting on another normal (paired with that same normal male, she produced 8 eggs with him a couple of years ago) and on a het pied (paired with a het pied). both bred like rabbits many times, last time on may around the 15. both females shed around june 13...both seem to be gravid, showing signs (laying inverted, looking "uncomfortable)...i hope they will still lay.,..we are dealing with living beings, not everything is always "textbook"
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Neutiquam erro. Hostes alienigeni me abduxerunt.

I have a Pied female that is doing the same thing. She is 5 years old, and plenty big enough to breed. Has bred the last 2 years, nut no eggs. I am begining to believe that her cycle might be off. So, I am going to attempt breeding her in August and September, to see if maybe she is just not cycling with the rest of the collection. With that said, I actually have about 3 other normal girls that are doing the same thing, and I am going to breed them in the "off season" as well.

If you have access to an ultra-sound, you may want to watch their follicular development over the next couple months.
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Tim and Monica Bailey
Bailey & Bailey Reptiles