Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Okay this is my 5th litter so far this year. I have produced 3 times as many sweet potatoes than live snakes. PLEASE HELP. What am I doing wrong????

In the below pic I have 11 babies one still born (which was the best in the litter) and 23 potatoes. What am I doing wrong? My first 3 were the same and my 4th I screwed up by throwing a horny male in there because I was doubting if she was pregnant and she threw all preemies.

I have 2 more gravid animals and I'm hoping for the best.

I use wooden cages vs. plastic is that a problem as far as heat conservation. I keep my ambient at 88-92. I also feed all the way through the pregnancy some stop feeding could this be a mistake. I'm really at my wits end on this and could use some help.

Thanks in advance

I had a friend who had their animals in his garage in florida. It remained a steady temp but was about those ambient temps when hot.. my friend thought this was nice and 'toasty' .. a BIG boa breeder told him you're cooking your babies...

I would suggest an ambient range of 78-85 at most, good belly heat, and even another form if you really insist.. but ambients of high 80's and low 90's are WAY too high.

take care - Joe
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Thanks and take care - Joe Rollo
'Tis not the stongest of the species that will eventually survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change' Charles Darwin

One of the ways I tell if my boas are gravid is to check their temp. A prego female will almost always be around 86. This is not 100% accurate, but if I go check the 8 pregos I have with the temp gun, I would bet atleast 6 of them would be at 86, with the others within a couple degrees. I Keep my ambient at about 79 and give them a good hotspot. I hope this helps you. Out of curiosity, how far past pos were they? Craig

hey Alex,
as far as I know...there are mostly 3 things that can cause your dilemma; 1) insufficient heat – whether it be not a warm enough basking spot or too low of an ambient, 2) hydration – lack of fresh water or the intake thereof by the female, and 3) timing of the courtship – possibly she was ovulating prior to introduction, or the male was removed or quit too early…..the only other thing may be the males sperm count was low and that might be attributed to his overall health…..and I guess the same could be said for the female…gotta have them fat cells aplenty….I have produced in wooden cages no problem and I always feed through most of the gestation period…..remove the guesswork on temps if your not sure there, keep a tight eye on the water bowl…especially during ovulation….and introduce the males sooner and don’t take him out until he’s left her alone for a month…..I’ve bred boas that I never actually saw copulation or courtship…but the male resting on her tail or near her body is always an indication that he’s still interested….when he’s not he’ll keep his distance completely and start looking for food.
Hope some of this help and good luck with those next 2 females…let us know how it works out.
-Dino