Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have heard that it is good to encourage competition for breeding, and that it's better to have multiple males to increase your odds of fertility. This will be my first breeding season, and I was curious to find out what has worked for everyone else. I have a few different males that I'd like to use for breeding this year, all of whom have distinctly different genetics. There will be no doubt who the father is when the offspring arrive. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find any information on what the process is for using multiple males.

Do I put 2 males in with one female at the start of the cooling season? If so, do I leave them both in for the duration of the season? Is there a certain point at which I should pull one of the males (or both) out? I'd appreciate any feedback or experience you have in this arena, and thank you in advance for helping me out.

Thanks,
Anthony

All of my males are at least 4 feet in length and at least 2 years old. They were all given their last meal last weekend, and will be introduced after next weekend. None of them are showing any signs of illness.

Are there any other things I need to consider before introducing my males to the females?

Should I remove any hide boxes, water bowls, or moisture boxes (sterilites with moist coconut husk) from the females cage prior to introduction?

Thanks again for your help,
Anthony-

When you introduce any Boas together - watch them for 20 minutes - that is the most likely time that one may attack the other .

When breeding with two males , you should either have completely opposite genetics , as you say that you have - so you know who the father is . Or two of the identicle genetics, so it really doesn't matter who the father is. Thei have been many litters that have had 2 fathers. When I have used 2 males this is how
I did it . ---

I'd introduce one male for a day. On the 2nd day, I'd put in the other male for a few hours. The courtship becomes much more vigorous. After a few hours of that , pull the firs male out for a day or two , then keep alternating them . I never pull anyone who is heavily courting. If you leave them in together the whole time , then they spend too much time and effort trying to shrug off the other male. The few hours of both males together is enough to provoke serious courtship when they're one-on-one.
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Snake room janitor

Unless I'm mistaken, both males are capable of fertilizing the female, so you may not end up with one or the other male being the father. Might sound simple enough, but I just don't think it works like that.

If you're worried about the males getting overzealous with each other, you might consider trying the same results with another males shed instead. I've heard of people doing this before.
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Sublime Boa Constrictor

Thanks for the tips everyone. I have read that adding a post ovulatory shed into a cage with a breeding pair will also encourage courting, but I didn't even think about adding the shed from another male. I actually have one male that is going blue right now, so I'll keep that shed and try it. Which brings up another question, lol.

If I have a male who is starting the shed process, can I put him in with the female while he is still in shed, or do I need to wait for him to shed completely?

Thanks,
Anthony

Not a good idea IMO Once a snake starts shedding, they should be left alone. Ecdysis is a delicate process. If you tear the old skin before it's ready to be sloughed, you expose the new skin to risks such as infection or fungal attack.
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Sublime Boa Constrictor