Reptile & Amphibian Forums

i recently watched a video on jeremy stone site, where they are cleaning out the boys bits, when substrate gets stuck there during breeding. Anyone had this issue with their rainbows? i had never really thought about it much before.
The majority of my snakes are on newspaper, but they still have moist hide boxes, which is made up of a very fine kind of moss. I guess some could get stuck onto the boys bits.
Can the males remove any stuck bits themselves, or do some of you, pop the hemipenes and check for substrate?

cheers
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Dave

15.24 brbs
4.8 crbs
Im an aussie in an arctic environment
Helsinki, Finland

For that and other reasons, all my breeding is done on paper. Even the hide boxes are lined with paper instead of moss.
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Thanks,

Dave Colling

www.rainbows-r-us-reptiles.com

0.1 Wife (WC and still very fiesty)
0.2 kids (CBB, a big part of our selective breeding program)

LOL, to many snakes to list, last count (02/01/2010):
42.61 BRB
27.40 BCI
And those are only the breeders

lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats

before you changed to paper only during the breeding season, did you ever actually have any issues?
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Dave

15.24 brbs
4.8 crbs
Im an aussie in an arctic environment
Helsinki, Finland

I have never had any issues but then again, never had a substrate except the hide boxes and got away from that real quick as I got tired of making bunches of fresh ones every week. Dang they are messy during breeding season.
-----
Thanks,

Dave Colling

www.rainbows-r-us-reptiles.com

0.1 Wife (WC and still very fiesty)
0.2 kids (CBB, a big part of our selective breeding program)

LOL, to many snakes to list, last count (02/01/2010):
42.61 BRB
27.40 BCI
And those are only the breeders

lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats

Cliff,
no i havent seen any problems, but then again i cant say ive ever really looked to closely either. So yes it was the video that made me think about. Was one of jeremys latest videos up, so you will find if you go thru them. Id put the link up, but i guess it would get pulled.
As for the comment, about they can fix it in the wild, i guess thats true, but they probably also die more often in the wild aswell. Something stuck on a hemipenes, may take a male out of breeding circulation for a while in captive terms.

cheers
-----
Dave

15.24 brbs
4.8 crbs
Im an aussie in an arctic environment
Helsinki, Finland

Perhaps this is one of the reasons they have hemipenal sheds, especially during the breeding season. The shed would clear out any debris lodged inside I would think.
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Aubrey Ross

©
www.SlipstreamSerpents.com

explains why the hemipenal sheds are so often found in water - for the water to help with the shed and keep the freshly shed hemipenes clean while retracting?
-----
Thanks,

Dave Colling

www.rainbows-r-us-reptiles.com

0.1 Wife (WC and still very fiesty)
0.2 kids (CBB, a big part of our selective breeding program)

LOL, to many snakes to list, last count (02/01/2010):
42.61 BRB
27.40 BCI
And those are only the breeders

lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats

how long does it take for a hemipenal shed cycle. Essentially how long are they opaque for, and can the male actually do the deed, if he is in a hemipenal shed cycle????
-----
Dave

15.24 brbs
4.8 crbs
Im an aussie in an arctic environment
Helsinki, Finland

Exactly how do you propose checking if the hemipenes are opaque?

>>how long does it take for a hemipenal shed cycle. Essentially how long are they opaque for, and can the male actually do the deed, if he is in a hemipenal shed cycle????
>>-----
>>Dave
>>
>>15.24 brbs
>>4.8 crbs
>>Im an aussie in an arctic environment
>>Helsinki, Finland
-----
Thanks,

Dave Colling

www.rainbows-r-us-reptiles.com

0.1 Wife (WC and still very fiesty)
0.2 kids (CBB, a big part of our selective breeding program)

LOL, to many snakes to list, last count (02/01/2010):
42.61 BRB
27.40 BCI
And those are only the breeders

lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats

i was kind of hoping you would fiqure that part out dave
that said, did you understand what i was asking?
If a shed, essentially covers everything, might it not sort of act like a condom for a certain period of time?
(ive written some weird sentences on KS before, but that might be weirdest

cheers
-----
Dave

15.24 brbs
4.8 crbs
Im an aussie in an arctic environment
Helsinki, Finland