Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Just heard rumors on breeding womas that early. Also, what makes the eggs so hard to hatch?

I can't comment on woma eggs, but breeding any python at 18 months is generally considered too early. If the snake has been power fed, you might be able to get it to breed, but then you're adding even more stress to an animal that's being stressed already.

Good Luck,
Doug T

>>Just heard rumors on breeding womas that early. Also, what makes the eggs so hard to hatch?

Literally, I can't because I have no woma's at all!
But I am aware of at least one breeder who did. I am not sure for the female but the males can breed at this age when well kept and fed.
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just curious. It's funny that none of the guys who post woma pics all year respond to this, don't you think?
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1.1 Kenyan Sand Boa adults
1.1 Kenyan Sand Boa 2003
0.1 Rubber Boa
0.2 Eastern Hognose Snakes
2.2Western Hognose Snakes
1.1 Womas
1.0 African Hedgehog
1.0 Sulcata
1.1 Leopard tortoises
1 Pleco
2 Silver Dollars
3 Bosemian Rainbows
1 Cory Cat
1 Upside Down Catfish
2.0 Fire Guramis
1 silver arrowana
1 sentenal bichir

uhh... I think that is it.

yeah that is funny

You know, I bought a pair about 2 years ago and have asked for a little help here and there and for whatever reason this snake seems to be one of the hardest to get people to respond about. I bought a book, I believe it is called the Basic Reproductive Husbandry of Pythons and Boas, cost about 80 bucks, has a Woma on the cover. Now the book is excellent, but the info on Aspidites is minimal. To annoy me further I met a person in Daytona this year[I actually got a few answers from breeders face to face this year] who said he had 3 pairs and got eggs from all 3 females 2 years in a row and didn't hatch a single egg. He said he also could not get any help? I wish someone would recommend the BEST book or reveal the secret to hatching the eggs. It is not recommended to breed your Womas at 18 months, they do have large eggs, but I know it has been done. Tom Stevens

I've got that same book from Reptile Haven.
Anyhow, do you know the trick to getting the eggs to hatch?

Have you ever noticed in pics here on the forum that eggs are alwasy elevated off of the substrate on a plastic grated type thing? Apparently the eggs need the high humidity but cannot be in contact with the damp substrate. This seems to be a popular method and I have been told it increases your odds of success dramatically. My female is 6 foot now, and plenty big enough to push out eggs. I am going to attempt to find someone cool enough to share info because honestly if I knew this was going to be so hard and secretive I would've only bought one for a pet and not a breeding project. I love these snakes and really want to produce my own. Hopefully things will go well this year. Tom Stevens

There probably isn't as much secrecy as the breeders have less to gain from it.

Doug T

Yes, it s possible to breed woma's at 18 months, with power feeding. However, it would be wise to bring them up slower and wait until they are at least 3-5 years of age.
By power feeding and mating early, you will shorten the breeding life of the female in the long run.

Jeff

I have posted pics of womas, but as for breeding info, I am in the same boat as all of you. I have heard so many different things. I have heard that 18 months at about five feet is ok. I have also heard it is best to wait until they are 2 1/2 years plus. Breeding at a younger age, clutches are smaller, but have heard of an average size of ten eggs at that age. I have seen a couple of people's breeders and some were six feet plus and had good girth, and some were just barely four feet. I have also been told that females that are two inches across when viewed from above were big enough to breed. I was told that the eggs are not that big and in this thread I think it was Tom that says the eggs are big. In a more recent conversation I was told that they will most likely go off feed in the winter so why not give it a shot. If it doesn't work out they will just reabsorb. This was told to this breeder by another very well known breeder. All of this info is from people we have all heard of. So with all of that, I am still at square one. I have one girl that will be two in january, so I may try her. At her current growth rate, she will be five foot plus. I also have other females that will hit the two year mark in the spring of '05 and are in the 4' 1/2" - 5' range. With those, I will most likely be waiting until the following year. With males 18 months should be fine.

In the wild, I don't think a male woma slithers up to a female and asks her how old she is. He will attempt to breed her. If she is at or near adult size regardless of age and receptive, all should work out. If not, then it was just "practice" for the following season;0) I know that food is not as readily available in the wild as it is in captivity, but what if a female happens to be born in a spot that has an abundance of food and grows faster. She will be bred. Every animals is different.....results will vary.

So where does all of my rambling leave us.....right where we started...LOL...

Art

thanks for all the insight. We need to figure out what to do with the eggs after we get them.
LOL