Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi Everyone,

I joined the site a while back but I can't remember if I've ever actually introduced my self or not. My name is Trevor and I've been keeping herps on and off for about 15 years. I'm a schoolteacher from Northern New Brunswick Canada and like most people my first snake was a corn. Up until recently my corn had been living in my classroom. Along with Corns I keep a few different types of smaller Boas and Ball Pythons. This year however I have really expended the Corn collection. Right now I'm working with a normal male, female anery, male snow, normal female het for anery and lavender, 1.3 okeetees, and a female amel. This year my anery was bred to a lavender het for anery. Next year she we be paired with a hypo motley.

Now for my question, can a corn stop their shed cycle?
My anery laid her clutch on May 4th. According to the person I bought her from she had better weight this year before being bred then the previous year. Also she was heavier after laying then she was after coming out of brumation so I decided for a double clutch her for the first time with my snow. She ate her first meal on May 6th then I introduced her to the snow on May 7th at dusk. I took her out the next morning before leaving for work. When I got home I check on her and she had started to turn blue. It's easy to see in anery and amels the whole snake turns blue. I fed her and re-introduced her to the snow again. I left her in there for one more night then I took her out again. I left her in her cage and fed her again on May 12th. She did not want to take the food so I placed her in a smaller Rubbermaid over night with the food and a rock in case she wanted to shed. On the morning of the 13th shed ate, defecated but still no shed. I cleaned her and re-introduced her to the snow. I've not witnessed any copulation so I'm not sure what is happening. He courted her like mad on the 7th but now nothing. I plan was to separated them and wait for her to shed and re-introduce hopping that she would smell nice and that this shed would not close the season for me but now she appears to be holding off on that shed altogether.
Any and all feedback is appreciated.
Thanks,
Trevor

Nice to meet you.

As far as your corns shed, two things may have happened:

1. If you keep her on a loose substrate such as shaved aspen, she may have had the shed, but if it is rolled up with will be reasonalbly small and may be hidden in the substrate.

2. May 6 was really not all the long ago, she may just not have dropped the shed yet. It is normal for her to go back to normal color before the shed, and I have had a corn and at least two ball pythons go for up to two and a half weeks after turning blue before they finally went ahead and shed. Sometimes they are just slow!

As far as the mating, she may just not be ready yet. Keep introcing them and hoping for the best. This is my first year breeding, but I understand the female will not usually be ready for breeding a second clutch until after that post-lay-shed.

Good luck!

She was on newspaper. It is more likely the second sittuation.
Thanks,
Trevor

Well I removed her and she shed this morning so I re-introduced her but so far the male has shown little to no interest. I've tried misting and introducing a second male. The second male seemed to get him motivated but as soon as I took the second male out the first one relaxed again. Any thoughts?
Thanks,
Trevor