Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Just checking to see if the honduran breeders out there breed their hondos after the 1st or 2nd shed, is there a potential chance that waiting for the 2nd shed increases the potential for a viable clutch?
female 475g 3weeks out of the cooler and the male is 725g.
male 2 is 370g.
any info would be appreciated
thanks
chris

Toppy,

Some females will breed after there first shed but most will take two or even three before they are ready.
I have a big girl that is ovulateing as we speak and she is three weeks out of hibernation and shed a few days ago.

Thats just one out of 30 females I have thats ready now.The real question is if the male has viable sperm yet?

shannon

So to further the discusion, do you introduce a male to the females after each shed and observe acceptance or lack there of by the female and then continue this until copulation occurs? On the viability of the males sperm do you take microscopic samples of fluid left behind after all copulations?

Matt

I guess in light of what shannon said I'll wait untill the 2nd shed. I have 2 males and one female so I want to get it right the 1st time. I think if there is a reason to wait ill wait even though if i put them together they may breed now, viable sperm is worth waiting for.

>>So to further the discusion, do you introduce a male to the females after each shed and observe acceptance or lack there of by the female and then continue this until copulation occurs? On the viability of the males sperm do you take microscopic samples of fluid left behind after all copulations?
>>
>>Matt

Like Shannon, I've found most of my females don't respond til after their second shed. And i've observed that clutches from breedings after the 2nd shed are more often good than are clutches from earlier breedings. Not a big enough data pool to constitute proof, but it guides my animal management.

If a female hasn't had her 2nd shed yet and almost all the others have, i'll put a male with her to see what happens--maybe it's not just # of sheds, but # of weeks post-brumation, that matters.

Yes, I check sperm samples after every copulation.

terry dunham
albino tricolors
st pete florida

What power magnification do you need to actually see the sperm?
Does anyone have any pictures of what good snake sperm should look like? Are you taking a count? Or are you looking for shape and structure?

Thanks

>>What power magnification do you need to actually see the sperm?

i think i use the 10x element: that plus the 10x eyepiece means i'm looking at 100x magnification. I prefer a scope with an electric light source; cheaper devices with a mirror to reflect ambient light SHOULD work, but i've not been able to make them produce a meaningful image. The trickiest part is getting the light/contrast adjusted correctly, the sperm are pretty small organisms and it's easy to light too brightly and not even see them; adjust the light and i guess it's the direction of light, and suddenly they come into view.

>>Does anyone have any pictures of what good snake sperm should look like?

I don't, but i've bought a microscope that hooks to my computer to capture images, and hope to have some to post here in 6 weeks or so.

> Are you taking a count? Or are you looking for shape and structure?

well, i'm taking a count only in the most general sense. I'm not counting, but just looking for extremely densely populated samples. and i'm watching for normal mobility, that they're swimming smoothly and quickly. toward the end of the season especially you start seeing some that are kinked, and moving spastically rather than swimming smoothly. those are presumed to be faulty.

i know of one instance in which a fella reported a 10-month old male i'd sold him was putting out good sperm. He was knowledgeable so i assume he knew what he was seeing. But i recall he got only one or two babies out of around 40 eggs. So there may be/probably are additional indicators we lay persons can't distinguish under a scope.

i hope that helps.

terry dunham
albino tricolors
st pete florida
>>
>>Thanks

So what is the procedure for taking the sperm prior to viewing?
Are you making a slide of the sperm? Are you looking at the sperm between 2 pieces of glass or plastic? Or is it more of a drop or smear on one slide and then viewing?

I can't wait to see your photos from your microscope! Is the attachment between the microscope and the computer designed for any good quality microscope?

Thanks Again

>>
>>So what is the procedure for taking the sperm prior to viewing? Are you making a slide of the sperm? Are you looking at the sperm between 2 pieces of glass or plastic? Or is it more of a drop or smear on one slide and then viewing?

after observing copulation, i express a bb-sized sample bypressing my thumb on the female's belly an inch or so anterior to the cloaca, and rolling my thumb toward the cloaca til a little fluid appears. I collect it on a thumb or finger and transfer it to a slide, and then place a cover slide on top of it.

>>
>>IIs the attachment between the microscope and the computer designed for any good quality microscope?

it's actually a fairly inexpensive replacement microscope that sends the image to a computer rather than to an eyepiece, so you view the object on the computer screen and can capture the images.

terry

Quoted by Terry ;

"I've observed that clutches from breedings after the 2nd shed are more often good than are clutches from earlier breedings. Not a big enough data pool to constitute proof, but it guides my animal management."

I had two 1st time breeding females last year that copulated following their first sheds that ended up with a high slug rate with 10% and 20% hatch rate respectively. My reasonning was that courting males would/could induce females to ovulation?!?

The breeding males did sire other clutches with 100% hatch rate and were therefore rule out. I plan on introducing these two females only after their second sheds this year and hopefully increase hatch rate. Interesting observation regardless...

Good luck to all for the 2004 egg season