Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi
This summer my eastern indigos played a trick on me and made a clutch of eggs in the spring. 8 eggs but infertile. The female was very small compared to your standards and I didn`t expect any breeding behaviour at all.
Now the female approaches 6 feet and was just copulated. Before that my males were figting like crasy and the smell in the terrarium after that fight.............puuuuuuh but it started some hormons and they copulated.
Now I have the question. When will she (if everything goes right) start to develob eggs? The reason why I am asking is because they are in a pretty cold inviroment and has stopped feeding. They are still active but I don`t like to fed at 20*C in the daytime and 17*C at night. Should I keep them warmer? Yhey have off course heating spots during the day.
Best wishes
Søe

Indigos are subtropical snakes that bask in the sun and warm themselves even in the dead of winter.

Your nightime low of 17C (about 62F) is fine, but daytime high of 20 C (about 68F) is NOT good enough. Over time, your snakes under these conditions will likley develop respiratory disease and may die.

You should have a basking spot for at least 4-5 hours per day where your snakes can bask as high in the 80's F (about 27-29C)
If you do this, your snakes WILL come out and warm themselves and they need to do this. Under these conditions the females (and possibly the males) should begin eating, but feed meals about 1/2 the size you feed them in the summer, and not as often. It will take them much longer to digest.

If your snakes are breeding this time of year, eggs should be expected in March.

Please give them the basking spot!

Also...be very carful about letting the males combat ("fight"
It really is not necessary, but if you do it...stay right with them. I used to do this until one of my males got a nasty bite a few years ago that required stitches. I have not done it since and they have bred just as aggressively. They can injure one another very badly within a second or two.

Good luck!
Dean Alessandrini

Thank You for the response. They have a basking spot 7-8 hours a day and can get heated up.My terrraria follow the daily rythm outside and it will start to increase soon. They don`t find food objects very interesting thow, so I only feed them jumpers.
The males likes to combat but so far newer injured each other. I have plenty of terraria so I will just seperate them.
My main consern was the female and the low temperatures. I can easely make it warmer, but like to keep it as natural as possible
Best wishes
Søe

ok...I didn't realize you had the basking spots.
As long as you have the basking places, your temps seem fine.

I would not worry about them going off feed for a while. That sometimes happens. I would try a small meal weekly. They may eat once in a while, or may not eat at all.

I have had both males and females fast for most of the winter and been just fine, females laying fertile eggs with no problems.