Reptile & Amphibian Forums

i have 2 large normal females that are in a sweater box rack. i have been putting my male spider in with the females every threes days.

example:
day 1-3 alone
day 4-6 w/ female 1
day 7-9 alone
day 10-12 w/ female 2

ive been doing this since late november and have noticed lockups nearly everytime. recently i noticed that the females have started acting differnt and seem to be almost firm. ive switched them to a moss bedding with higher humidity and about 90 degree hot spot. the male is now by himself. should i keep cycling him through the females? leave him out and wait? whats next for me to do?thanks in advance

I keep cycling until I see an ovulation or they stop showing any interest in each other.
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Snakes:
1.1 gray banded kingsnake
1.1 california kingsnake
1.1 kenyan sand boa
1.1 western hognose snake
0.1 albino checkered garter
1.0 florida blue garter
1.1 het anery red sided garter
1.1 reverse oketee corn snake
1.1 blood red corn snake
0.1 amel striped corn
1.0 amel 66% het striped corn
1.1 het albino ball python
1.1 het ghost ball python
0.1 spider ball python
1.0 pastel ball python
1.1 mojave ball python
1.0 butter ball python
0.1 ringer ball python
1.0 African dinker ball python
0.3 normal ball python
1.0 piebald ball python
0.1 het piebald ball python
0.1 Genetic Stripe Ball Python
1.0 Het Genetic Stripe Ball Python
0.1 Mystic Ball Python

Turtles
1-eastern box turtle
2-spotted turtle
2-eastern/midland painted turtle intergrade
1.0-common musk turtle
1-Pink bellied sideneck
6-Northern red belly

Invertebrates
0.1 southern black widow
1-Tanzanian Giant Tailless whipscorpion

Amphibians
0.1 Ornate Horned Frog

Birds:
1.1 red avadavit
2-blue breasted cordon blue
1.1-black cheeked waxbill
0.1-star finch
1.0-Java rice sparrow
2.0-owl finch
1.0-hybrid munia
0.1-White bellied caique

Fish
2-corydoras cats
1-African upside down cat

normal stuff
0.1 black lab

is an ovulation real noticeable? how long does it last? i just noticed that the larger female is in a shed is that any sign in the breeding process? she hasnt eaten or even shown interest in food and shes sheding.

Also, probably best to just keep a egg laying box in the females cage, big enough for her to coil in with a bit of room along the sides and top, when half filled with moss. It sounds like you have the entire cage filled with damp moss which isn't healthy for the snake (too much moisture can lead to scale rot and respiratory infections, if your snake can't escape the high humidity after a day or two). However the moist egg laying bin situated partially on the hot spot would make a better egg laying place.

I also second keeping the male with the females on the cycle you have already established till no more lockups are noticed or the female shows an obvious swelling indicating ovulation.
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PHLdyPayne

what could i used as an egg laying box. they are in 32qt bins whcih arent very high so i dont know what to use. thanks

When the snake ovulated she will have a very large swelling about 2/3 of the way down her body. This usually lasts a few days and then she will shed sometime soon after. Even if you missed ovulation the female should look swollen. I never use an egg box, but something like a cat litter pan turned over with a hole in it would probably work.
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Snakes:
1.1 gray banded kingsnake
1.1 california kingsnake
1.1 kenyan sand boa
1.1 western hognose snake
0.1 albino checkered garter
1.0 florida blue garter
1.1 het anery red sided garter
1.1 reverse oketee corn snake
1.1 blood red corn snake
0.1 amel striped corn
1.0 amel 66% het striped corn
1.1 het albino ball python
1.1 het ghost ball python
0.1 spider ball python
1.0 pastel ball python
1.1 mojave ball python
1.0 butter ball python
0.1 ringer ball python
1.0 African dinker ball python
0.3 normal ball python
1.0 piebald ball python
0.1 het piebald ball python
0.1 Genetic Stripe Ball Python
1.0 Het Genetic Stripe Ball Python
0.1 Mystic Ball Python

Turtles
1-eastern box turtle
2-spotted turtle
2-eastern/midland painted turtle intergrade
1.0-common musk turtle
1-Pink bellied sideneck
6-Northern red belly

Invertebrates
0.1 southern black widow
1-Tanzanian Giant Tailless whipscorpion

Amphibians
0.1 Ornate Horned Frog

Birds:
1.1 red avadavit
2-blue breasted cordon blue
1.1-black cheeked waxbill
0.1-star finch
1.0-Java rice sparrow
2.0-owl finch
1.0-hybrid munia
0.1-White bellied caique

Fish
2-corydoras cats
1-African upside down cat

normal stuff
0.1 black lab

They both look bigger than normal. Would pics help? The one in shed looks huge compared to a few moths ago

You can simply put a strip of moss down on side of the tub starting at the back of your tub and come foreward with it about half way to the front. This will give her 75% of the tub to lay around on and that 25% of moss to lay her eggs on... think of your tub being cut in to quarters.. pics would help but sounds like the big one ovulated! Do you have your incubator and egg boxes set up and ready? Good luck!
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Brian Hettinger
480 Pythons
Contact us

no i dont. if she is gravid, how long before she lays em'?

An egg laying bin can be any container that is big enough for your ball to be inside loosely coiled and still have room to move around and lay eggs. Damp sphagnum moss (not too damp, shouldn't get any water oozing out if you squeeze it really hard) can be layered inside (about half full, she will move it around to make a nest.) Cut a hole in the lid of the container wide enough for you female to get inside, with room to spare, or in the side of the container. I like having the lid up as you can just remove the lid and carefully unwind the mother from her eggs then take the eggs out. It is also handy to have a second lid, just in case the eggs affix to the bottom of the container, then you can just take out the moss, add vermiculite (mixed with equal amount of water by weight) around the eggs, leaving the tops exposed. Put the new lid on (with some holes drilled in) then fit into an incubator.

If the eggs are loose, just move them into an incubation dish with the vermiculite (or perlite, or hatchrite) don't change the orientation of the eggs, and half bury them into the incubation medium. Place in the incubator.

As for when to expect eggs, I believe its about 20-30 days after the pre-lay shed. Not sure on this time, but never hurts to already have the egg laying bin in place ahead of time.

Also, now is a good time to set up your incubator and make sure it holds temperatures and humidity well, and you have everything you need for an incubation bin etc. Far better to have the incubator all ready for eggs weeks in advance, then have to run about in a panic trying to get it ready when you see eggs being laid or after they are laid.
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PHLdyPayne

Ok awesome thanks for the help. So if the female doesn't show interest or I don't notice any lockups then it's just a waiting game and I should just stop cycling the male?

http://www.ballpython.ca/gallery/breeding.html

I read that like every 2 days my first year breeding, and I still reference it.
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Snakes:
1.1 gray banded kingsnake
1.1 california kingsnake
1.1 kenyan sand boa
1.1 western hognose snake
0.1 albino checkered garter
1.0 florida blue garter
1.1 het anery red sided garter
1.1 reverse oketee corn snake
1.1 blood red corn snake
0.1 amel striped corn
1.0 amel 66% het striped corn
1.1 het albino ball python
1.1 het ghost ball python
0.1 spider ball python
1.0 pastel ball python
1.1 mojave ball python
1.0 butter ball python
0.1 ringer ball python
1.0 African dinker ball python
0.3 normal ball python
1.0 piebald ball python
0.1 het piebald ball python
0.1 Genetic Stripe Ball Python
1.0 Het Genetic Stripe Ball Python
0.1 Mystic Ball Python

Turtles
1-eastern box turtle
2-spotted turtle
2-eastern/midland painted turtle intergrade
1.0-common musk turtle
1-Pink bellied sideneck
6-Northern red belly

Invertebrates
0.1 southern black widow
1-Tanzanian Giant Tailless whipscorpion

Amphibians
0.1 Ornate Horned Frog

Birds:
1.1 red avadavit
2-blue breasted cordon blue
1.1-black cheeked waxbill
0.1-star finch
1.0-Java rice sparrow
2.0-owl finch
1.0-hybrid munia
0.1-White bellied caique

Fish
2-corydoras cats
1-African upside down cat

normal stuff
0.1 black lab