Reptile & Amphibian Forums

On the 8th and 9th, one of my female BP's was ovulating(I was skeptical at first and didn't pay too much attention.) So on the 10th before I went to bed, I noticed she was wrapped around her water dish. I introduced my 100% het albino male, and they have been breeding since before I woke up. I bought the female 13 years ago as a CH. She didn't do very well for a few months. . .Now I can't keep her from slamming all my rats. This is her first time ever seeing a male in my care and she has taken kindly to him

Peace,
Ian Daviss

P.S. Sorry the picture was taken through a glass enclosure and is kind of blurry.

If she was "ovulating" then the addition of the male would be futile. However, she was probably very swollen with follicles which is why you noticed it for a few days rather than a few hours. The "waterbowl clutch" is another sign of the female cooling herself. Female ball pythons only ovulate for a few hours and then they no longer would have allowed a male to mate (usually). So, instead, you are just beginning the breeding instead of drawing it to a close. Once a female ovulates, the eggs are being formed and she would shed in approximately 30 days and then lay eggs within another 30 days. Be sure to write down all your observations for future reference. It is always helpful to be able to look back over the season and read about what happened. Good luck!
Hillary Webb

Thanks for the information. I was under the inpression(dont know whose *chuckles*) that the follicles forming is part of the ovulation process. This is my first attempt at breeding BP's. . .maybe I'll hatch some out.

Thanks,
Ian Daviss

Ovulation is the act of fertilization and the movement of the eggs in through the oviduct. If she ovulated, no amount of mating would matter, as fertilization has already taken place. Or, at least it tried to take place.