Reptile & Amphibian Forums

How long after Temp's exit brumation does it take for the Temporalis females to consent? Mine have been out for nearly two months now and the females have been rejecting the males advances the whole time...yet the Gray Bandeds are well into their breeding season.

Do Temp's require a certain period after brumation or is there a specific month/week/moon cycle that they become active?

It's been a while since I bred them last, and I don't remember it being this hard. Maybe I was just lucky...

Thanks,
Roger

In the past mine were usually about the first snakes out to breed and lay. I'm not sure where you are or what conditions you keep them in, but opening a window for cool nights usually does well for colubrids. If there is no temp gradient increase it, also try moistening the substrate to insure proper shed cycles. If this doesnt work, and you havent bred those specimens you might try resexing...its happened to the most skilled breeder, not to bother to sex an animal because it came from a reputable breeder. Some of the most famous milksnake people on here have sent me mistakes before, it happens.

"Some of the most famous milksnake people on here have sent me mistakes before, it happens"

No doubt about that. I always carefully double-check the sex of my hatchlings one MORE time just before I put them in the deli cup to be shipped, just to help ensure that doesn't happen.

And yes, I don't care WHO I get anything from, I ALWAYS check myself to verify the sex as well before I buy at a show, of course shipped animal's are a different story, but still are checked immediately after receiving. Nothing like wasting several years growing something up, just to later find out they are sexed incorrectly..LOL!.......ARRGGH!!

~Doug
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"a snake in the grass is a GOOD thing"

my website -serpentinespecialties.webs.com

I actually made that mistake last summer! I sent Mitch 0.2 Powder River Co, MT multistrata instead of the 1.1 he'd asked for. I sent along a properly sexed male right away and allowed him to keep the extra female as a consolation for my blunder. Another time, I ended up with 2.2 gentilis once in a group that was long thought to be 1.3. I didn't mind a bit, though, since I prefer to keep 1:1 male:female ratio for greater genetic diversity, anyway.

Things happen. Always check your animals.

-Cole

Haha! I was actually thinking about this, but I didn't want to actually say anything. Lord knows I've done this several times with my zonata studies. I remember I lost two years of eggs from a female because during that time I thought she was a he. One day when I was totally frustrated with "his" lack of breeding effort, I picked "him" up and felt a bunch of follicles! Yes, it does happen to the best of us.

And on that note...Cole, if the consolation for mis-sexed snakes is an "extra" animal, just be kind enough to mess up all of my requests!!! Haha!

Mitch

A couple funny stories about that. I've known Carl Bartlett about 20 years, back when finding mates was difficult for some species. Anyways I didnt probe yet, and he still doesnt. I sent him a male Az.Mt king to put with his female. This snake went across country from Tx to MA to CA to MA to FL and back to MA, lots of frequent flyer miles but, you guessed it, she ended up being female and we wasted a year figuring that out.
Skip forward to 5 years ago and I got a few adult coastals from Carl. He sexes by action of the adults, and sure enough the 2.2 ended up being 3.1. It happens all the time even to the best of us.

LMAO!!!.........yeah!, a very familiar "tune" for sure!

If I were Carl, I would at LEAST take a look up their skirts(tails). Never know when a "flaming" imposter could appear..LMAO!!

** No photo needed for this one!

~Doug
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"a snake in the grass is a GOOD thing"

my website -serpentinespecialties.webs.com

Mine generally breed strait up. My old formula was to put them down Nov 1 and bring them up by Feb 1. Going by this I would generally have eggs by late March or early April. I also hibernate breeding pairs together and only seperate them during feedings during the breeding season so I rarely if ever see breeding behavior or witness copulation. Once females are ready to deposite eggs I seperate them to prevent the male from eating the eggs (not something that has happened but somethign I've heard of and wish to avoid). I leave them appart the rest of the summer so that the female is not stressed by a cage mate and can put on as much wieght as possible before sutting down in September.

Last year I did some experimenting and increased the thermal gradient so that the hot side was much higher then before. All but one female continued to feed till I lowered the temps. I ended up putting them down Dec 1 and brought them up March 1. Their condition looks great but I have not observed breeding yet. Doesn't mean they haven't, I just haven't witnessed it.
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“Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind.” Emmerson

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