Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My 07 female striped leopard rat finally had her postbumation shed tonight. I got home from work around 10:00 pm. I put the male in with her and they were locked up within about ten minutes. They've been copulating for about two hours now and it's been very interesting to watch. The male has bitten her behind the head on her neck for most of the mating. It's also been a somewhat violent affair, with a lot of twirling and whipping around. There are breaks in the action though. I don't mean to give so much detail, it's just that I've never seen a pair of snakes copulate in this way. Hopefully now I'll get some eggs. The males hemipene is also swollen larger than any other species for it's size that I've ever seen. Good stuff.

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Matt Kauffman

Very nice snake! Are these colder loving like the Mandarins? Good luck with the breeding!
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King Snakes! Who can make a better mouse trap?
J Sierra

They don't need to be kept real warm, but their husbandry is different than mandarins. They don't need the humidity like most Asian rats. I keep mine room temp. with heat tape along the back of their enclosers. For breeding I just cooled them for about three months. Not true hibernation like is recomended. That didn't stop them from breeding, but this was their first attempt and I'm hoping to get some fertile eggs. Thanks.
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Matt Kauffman

Good luck Matt ... I love striped situla, you have a very handsome pair there, especially the one in the bottom photo.

Sue x
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Ratsnakezone

......situla are the "John Holmes" of the colubrid world?..LOL!

Seriously though, those are outstanding looking striped specimens you got there,.......best of luck with some sweet offspring!

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

my website -serpentinespecialties.webs.com

As far as I've seen they are.lol. I really had to resist taking a few pics, but this being their first mating attempt I didn't want to disturb them. Although, the way the male was locked in there, I don't think a few pics would have made a difference. Thanks everyone. I'm keeping my fingeres crossed.
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Matt Kauffman

Congrats on the breeding action Matt. I hope you get a nice fat clutch from the pair.
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Randy Whittington

The tail whipping and thrashing sounds like my Mandarins. Are swollen hemipenes a good thing? My Persian male was swollen to about the circumference of the female, sure looked painful. I was worried since she was dragging him around and it looked like he was trying to release but was unable. I left them alone and he did separate to my relief.

Good luck on fertile eggs!
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Nick Puder
www.rnpreptiles.com

Thanks everyone, I've been waiting for this pair to be old enough. I think the swollen hemipenes is a good thing. In my earlier pairings with these two(before the female shed), the male just wasn't aroused enough because he was content to just stay intertwinned with the female without any real copulation. I know what you mean by it looking painful Nick. I was thinking the same thing. I could actually see the outlines of the spines on the males hemipene under the skin of the female. Ouch! Like you I went to bed with them still locked up and in the morning they had seperated just fine.
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Matt Kauffman