Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I've got a 13 year old female that is going strong back home, and I'd love to get some babies from her, although it won't be until 2011 unfortunately. She bred a huge clutch of 18 eggs 3 years ago. Will kings keep breeding and producing up through their later years if they're in good health?

Thanks for any input!

>>I've got a 13 year old female that is going strong back home, and I'd love to get some babies from her, although it won't be until 2011 unfortunately. She bred a huge clutch of 18 eggs 3 years ago. Will kings keep breeding and producing up through their later years if they're in good health?
>>
>>Thanks for any input!

Kingsnakes will breed until they are not capable of breeding anymore and will throw two clutches a year with NO ill effects if husbandry is correct

I bred a male 9 year old virgin Cal king back in 1998....He was 17 the last time I bred him in 2005......

I also have a 27 year old male Ruthveni here on breeder loan that bred from 1984 up til 2007 and probably would breed this year, but we are giving him another year off.....

So....a 13 year old is still able to produce no problem.....As long as the health and husbandry is sufficient....
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John Lassiter
Poor planning and procrastination on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part...

Should be no problem if he is in good health, his cage and temps are of sufficient condition.

Scott

... like humans I figured males would breed till the end. What about females though? Do they stop producing eggs when they are teenagers...?

... like humans I figured males would breed till the end. What about females though? Do they stop producing eggs when they are teenagers...?

That is a good question about males. I have never had any "user" males long enough to find out. I have a female king that bred for me every year since 1993. The females in my collection seem to last longer than males but no data to confirm this. Just seems there are more longevity health problems assciated with males. Maybe because they are leaner ..? I don't know. I am thinking about rosy boas as well as other colubrids. Not just kingsnakes. As a whole it seems the females oytlive the males in captivity. But I am sure there is somebody that will prove me wrong or more people might support this. We'll see what other have to say about this..

just a trandom picture of my daughters tort and some high end knives.

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www.Bluerosy.com

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Thanks for sharing your experience. It will be a while but I'll let you know what happens! That's a sweet pic too of the tort and knives. When I have a son or daughter I'd like to either get them a tort or a few crested geckos if they're interested.