Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Is there anything wrong with breeding snakes out of season?

I'm not sure there's anything inherently wrong with breeding out of season, but if the female doesn't have normal follicles to fertilize (and she may not still be producing them, this time of year or later), breeding her won't result in eggs this season. Also, unless she's receptive (as they say in mammals -- "in heat" -- usually only when she has follicles), she may not allow the male anywhere near her "follicles!" And if both snakes aren't willing participants, there's not much you can do about it.

I found out the same thing just last night, when I realized that my ghost female was not gravid (after I rebred her following her first clutch in June) and I tried to introduce a male to her. She would have absolutely nothing to do with him -- and he's normally a very efficient, persistent breeder. I wasn't really surprised, though, since I couldn't feel any follicles, like I had back in early July when I first rebred her. I was really just curious to see if they would still breed.

Actully, I seriously doubt she (or any of my other females) are breedable at this point in summer -- and, at any rate, I want to get them nice and plump in plenty of time before brumation. Oh, that IS one thing that could go wrong with breeding late or out of season -- you may not have time to get weight back on your female before she needs to go into cool down.

Liz