Recently I have come across several posts describing situations where people have housed 2 males together only to discover that they were breeding. Therefore the presumption was that one was actually a female.
Well this story may put all presumptions to rest and open ones mind to all possibilities in this wonderful hobby we enjoy so much.
This year I purchased a beautiful Mojave from Dan and Colette Sutherland. He was big and healthy and primed to be a dependable breeder this coming season. My breeding season had begun in the early part of October and one by one all my males started to eventually breed. I have several first time breeding males this year and as always the ones that are less important are always the ones to breed first. And the ones you hope to discover, with a tail lock to rival all tail locks, are off in some corner daydreaming about who knows what. This was the case with my Mojave. Now bear in mind that this is not a reflection of the quality of the snake and I am certainly not taking a jab at Dan and Colette. The snake is amazing and these things happen and you have to be patient!
It's now mid November and as I don't feel that breeding this early is of any crucial importance, I do believe that it's nice to get males going and comfortable prior to the crunch months of January and February.
I recently read that some breeders combat males to give them that competitive edge so I thought I would do the same. I placed one of my less important males, (a dinking around project male I call White Belly) in with my Mojave, just before going to work for the day. I figure I had nothing to loose...right?
So days end arrives and as is customary, the first place I go when I get home from work is my snake room. Well bowl me over with a feather...hold the phone...what do I discover??? Your looking at it! Yes siree...Bob is your uncle! My two males are...dare I say it...BREEDING! OK so now I start to laugh thinking that I must have a female Mojave...but wait...I probed him as a male...just this morning!!!
So I decide that this just can't be happening and maybe they are just hugging(not that there is anything wrong with that).
NOT!!!! My white belly male was definitely the giver and he himself was now probing my Mojave.
So there you have it. Definite proof that males will breed other males. I did eventually coax them into separating and I gotta tell you, the look of longing on my Mojaves face was priceless.
From now on, no more Barbara Streisand movies and he is definitely not going to watch Queer Eye for the Straight Guy with us again! Although I have admitt he keeps his container neater than any of my other males.
All joking aside, this is just another one of those 'Ah Ha's" that keep your mind open and make you realize that you never, ever stop learning and witnessing new things.
Hope you enjoyed my little story and I'll keep you posted as to how he comes around.
Yours truly,
MJ
PS, If anyone one has any good snake girlie magazines they could spare, please send them to me as quickly as possible!
Markus Jayne Ball Pythons
