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Just a curiosity ? about breeding boas>>>>more

Highlander1 Nov 25, 2003 10:27 PM

Whats the latest that you can breed boas sucessfully?The reason i'm wondering is because i finally found a female for my male and was interested in breeding them.I was wanting her to get acclimated to her new surroundings before introductions (about 3 wks,also quarantining just in case) but if its going to be too late in the year for breeding then i can wait until next season.

A little background on her.Shes about 8.5 ft long and is just a fraction smaller than a 2 liter bottle at her biggest part.She is around 10 years old (according to the person i bought her from).She weighs aproximately 20-25 pounds easily.I'll post pics as soon as possible.

Now some history on the male.I raised him from a baby.He's almost 2 years old and just under 5 ft.Now before anyone says that hes too small to breed,Hes been overly reactive for the last couple weeks (not due to feeding).Also since i brought her home he has done nothing but cruise his cage back and forth.They are in the same vicinity as each other but not together(seperate cages).She is going in a newly built(bigger) cage as of thursday so they wont be near each other for long.Anyway any and all help is appreciated.Regards Bill McLeod

P.s here's a closeup side shot of the male.

Replies (7)

JohnLokken Nov 25, 2003 10:44 PM

>>Whats the latest that you can breed boas sucessfully?The reason i'm wondering is because i finally found a female for my male and was interested in breeding them.I was wanting her to get acclimated to her new surroundings before introductions (about 3 wks,also quarantining just in case) but if its going to be too late in the year for breeding then i can wait until next season.

1)Ronne has stated that he had produced babies 10 out of the 12 months. Which means to me........He had put his animals together at all times of the year. Or, he has intruced the male and had to re-introduce it due to lack of interest in either party.
2)The acclimation sounds good. But, 3 weeks isn't really long enough for the quarantining period. It is generally thought to be at least 3-6 months. But, if you really know who you bought it from and how he/she keeps their animals.....You could risk it. I generally prefer to be safe.
3)I usually put my animals together in November. This year that has worked well. (Except for my Argentine female. But, she will go later anyways.)

>>A little background on her.Shes about 8.5 ft long and is just a fraction smaller than a 2 liter bottle at her biggest part.She is around 10 years old (according to the person i bought her from).She weighs aproximately 20-25 pounds easily.I'll post pics as soon as possible.

1)I'd love to see them. I love big ol' boas.

>>
>>Now some history on the male.I raised him from a baby.He's almost 2 years old and just under 5 ft.Now before anyone says that hes too small to breed,Hes been overly reactive for the last couple weeks (not due to feeding).Also since i brought her home he has done nothing but cruise his cage back and forth.They are in the same vicinity as each other but not together(seperate cages).She is going in a newly built(bigger) cage as of thursday so they wont be near each other for long.Anyway any and all help is appreciated.Regards Bill McLeod

1)That's a good sign. Looks like he wants to make woopie. Best of luck with whatever happens.
John
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"To be the best..........You must lose your mind."

Highlander1 Nov 25, 2003 11:12 PM

The guy i got her from said that hes never had any trouble out of her with the exception of her rubbing her nose on the screen top.I figured it was because she was either wanting out or because she is ready to breed.The 3 weeks mentioned was just a precautionary thing just in case anything does go wrong.Just to be safe i figure i'll give it another season just to be sure.Either way she's very docile so if by chance i dont breed her she will be my baby (aside from the wife and the other 25 or so snakes,iguanas,lizards,caimen,etc.).Anyway thanx for the info.I'll post pics ASAP. Regards Bill McLeod

dinopolis Nov 25, 2003 11:06 PM

Hey Bill,
I try to keep all my males around the 5 foot range if possible, and 2 years old should be plenty old enough...though another year might prove him to be a bit more relaxed throughout the breeding....and worst case scenario you try it again next year anyways....however, for him to successfully breed such a big girl might be a task.
If you have control over your temps and lighting you can pretty much breed at anytime of the year I believe though it sure is easier when you have mother nature working with you.
I have also found (and also recall reading it somewhere else) that new surroundings as well as new boid introductions seem to inspire breeding activity.
I think the female being as large as she is and as robust, (unless there are are other unforseen factors here) is a good indicator to me that she is pretty healthy and I would not worry too much about an overly extended quarantine period.
Best of luck to you with them no matter what you decide, hope some of this might help....looking forward to the pics.
-Dino

Highlander1 Nov 25, 2003 11:18 PM

Beofre introducing them but if by chance i do try this year then i hope everything goes well.John mentioned the quarantine of at least 3 mths just to be safe which is a good idea (even though i dont thing she has anything contagious,but you cant never be too safe).I just figured i'd let her get used to the surroundings for at least 3 weeks before introduction (if perchance i do try) that way theres no stress on either of them.

My temps usually stay in optimal range give or take a few degrees so i may try around January if possible.Again thanx and Regards Bill McLeod

craig k. Nov 26, 2003 09:51 AM

Just wanted to chime in with the other two great posts. I think you would be good to go except for the quarantine issue. Everything else looks good as far as sizes and ages. Good luck with whatever you decide, and get some pics up. Craig Kade

Raven01 Nov 26, 2003 10:55 AM

I usually put my pairs together between October & November, but I have seen courting and copulation into February (I leave them together until I am relatively sure the female is gravid). If the male is eager and you're comfortable with the source you got your female from, I would try for this season. I typically quarantine for 3-6 months as well, sometimes up to a year if I'm not real certain about previous conditions. Yeah, that's probably overkill, but I'm a paranoid parent. lol As for the size difference, my best friend also breeds her pair of boas. In the fall of 2001, her male was 5' and her female 8'...she had 20 beautiful babies in May 2002. That was her male's first year of breeding and he did a beautiful job. In fact, I'm borrowing him this year for one of my females while her girl takes a break this season.

McCarthyBoas Nov 26, 2003 04:09 PM

Hi Bill

I quarantine all new boas for 6 to 12 months before trying to breed them. It's tempting to do it earlier, but I've learned the hard way not to do so. I would recommend waiting until next year for breeding her.

Take care,
Tom
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McCarthyBoas.com --------- Thanks & Take Care Everyone

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