Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Do you rotate the male, or introduce the male to both, just trying to maximize my males.

Chris

but rather a comment on your recent post in the KS classifieds.

It's so nice to see you looking forward to the upcoming breeding season, instead of focusing on health issues and your impending surgery.

Best wishes for your future health....

I'm not an expert but this is what I think. You should have at least one male per female. Generally males will only court and breed with one female at a time. Once the first female has ovulated (and if the male still has enough energy left) he may move on to court and breed the second female. You should not rotate males...Males should be left with the female they are courting/breeding until you are 100% sure she has ovulated and he has completely stopped breeding her. Removing/rotating males before you are 100% sure of this is one of the main reasons females will have all slugs or low baby counts. Long courting and breeding sessions are very stressful for males and some males have even been known to work themselves to death....they become over exhausted and just give up and quit eating etc. Unless your male is very strong and in perfect shape after breeding the first female it is not wise to allow him to court and breed with another. This is one of the reasons that ONLY perfectly healthy boas in tip-top shape should be used as breeders.
You would be much better off to use multiple males per female. Two or more males will be competitive with each other and courtship may be increased earlier. You will also increase your chances of a fertile litter if the female is bred by more than a single male.
I wish you health and a great year