Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Any thoughts on this from the forum would be appreciated. It's been my practice not to pair up indigos for breeding when either is preparing to shed its skin. I worry about damage to new skin layer forming under the old during the dance. At the same time it's frustrating to hold back a male apparently ready to go for weeks while a female is in one of those long shedding periods. If snakes joined up in the wild would a male wait for a female to complete a shed cycle before attempting to mate? Has anyone observed snakes spending a long time together waiting to mate until after sheds are completed? Thanks.

Natalie may have some more insight on this...but...from what I've heard:

Wild indigos tend to "pair up" for several weeks at a time.
They will typically shack up in the primary retreat of the female.

It is assumed that multiple copulations happen during these weeks they spend together.

Since they are doing the deed underground (presumably at least)
I doubt that we have a real understanding as to whether they will copulate while in shed.

In captivity, I've had males copulate while in shed...and I don't really worry about damage to the skin, they will be shedding it soon anyway.

The females seem to be reluctant to be receptive while in shed, however, and it actually seems like the males on many instances are not even "interested" in them when the females are in shed.

This is just my personal experience of course...

I understand your impatience though...I get that way too. It seems like it takes them FOREVER to shed when it's cool.

I usually start soaking them in 80 degree water for a couple hours a day when they are in shed this time of year and it seems to speed the process up a little.

Males always seem vey interested in the fresly shed females, so I usually put them together right after the females shed and leave them together for a couple days, then separate to give them a small meal.