Reptile & Amphibian Forums

First off, my albino female had babies yesterday. I heard quiet squeeking and thought "That doesn't sound like a rat" so I peeked in, and holy crap! 7 babies! Didn't even know she was preggers!

Secondly, I think my male heard me saing "I'll give him another two weeks for some babies to show up before I replace him," and last night he was boinking all my females.

Now, does it take longer than humphumphumphump wander off for the females to get preggers? He did this several times to each (the albino wasn't having any of it, tho), and I was wondering how that could possibly be long enough to produce anything?

AND how can I get the babies away from the mom? I tried moving her and her babies to my spare 10g I have set up, but I got latched onto by her on my pinky finger. I decided, fine, leave her with the other. BUT the babies are about the right size to feed to my hatching BP (maybe just a little small, so I'm waiting), so I want to get one away hopefully early this week for her. How can I do that sans being bitten?

Thanks!
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-Irish
Email: animistdragon@sbcglobal.net
AIM: VoodooDragon137
YIM: [same as Email addy]
3.3.1 Ball Pythons

Oops, 6. My mistake.

I thought they were supposed to have larger litters?
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-Irish
Email: animistdragon@sbcglobal.net
AIM: VoodooDragon137
YIM: [same as Email addy]
3.3.1 Ball Pythons

I lure the female off with one hand while the other grabs a pup... *chuckles* Been bitten a few times but nothing serious. *shrugs* As for large litters, yes they are, however, 1st time mothers may have smaller than average litters, though all mine have had 10 first litters. Usually its either youth or something missing in the diet that accounts for less than usual number of pups.

I got her and the pups into the other cage. Moved her with a pair of tongs (these rats were all "feeder rats" from a petstore, so only one of them is slightly social), then scooped the babies up with the scoop I use to put fresh substrate in.

She's a Small Rat, by feeding standards.

What could be missing? I use Kaytee Forti-Diet Mouse & Rat plus I add Oasis Vita-Drops to the water every day. Even tho their goal is to be food, I still want them to be healthy when they're alive. Plus, I like baby rats, hehe.

Ingedients:

Pellets: Ground Yellow corn, dehulled soybean meal, ground wheat, ground oats, ground peanuts, dehydrated alfalfa meal, corn gluten meal, dried cane molasses, lignin sulfonate, fish meal, corn sugar, calcium carbonate, salt, dicalium phosphate, animal fat (preserved with BHT), brewers dried yeast, dried beet pulp, Dl-methionine, choline chloride, riboflavin supplement, ferrous carbonate, vitamin E supplement, vitamin B12 supplement, manganous oxide, ethoxyquin (a preservative), L-lysine, zinc oxide, niacin, menadione sodium bisulfate complex(source of vitamin K activity), vitamin A supplement, calcium pantothenate, cholecalciferol (source of vitamin D3), copper oxide, pyridoxine, thiamin mononitrate, folic acid, biotin, calcium iodate, colbalt carbonate, sodium selenite, natural flavoring

Vita drops analysis per fluid ounce of undiluted:
Vitamin A (palmitate) ---------- 40,000 IU
Vitamin D3 (Cholecalciferol) --- 2,700 IU
Vitamin E (dl-Alpha Tocopheryl)- 80.0 IU
Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) ------ 350mg
Vitamin B12 (cyanocobalinamin) - 0.03mg
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) ---------- 30.0mg
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) -------- 15.5mg
Niacinamide -------------------- 130mg
d-panthenic acid --------------- 30mg
Vitamin K (Menadione) ---------- 0.01mg
Folic Acid --------------------- 4.0mg
Biotin (vitamin H) ------------- 1.0mg
Choline ------------------------ 120mg
And I put 0.6 ml in their 8oz water bottle every day.
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-Irish
Email: animistdragon@sbcglobal.net
AIM: VoodooDragon137
YIM: [same as Email addy]
3.3.1 Ball Pythons

Sounds like they have a really nice diet, it was probably just because she is young, and small. BTW, you can use gloves when dealing with the mother, and getting the babies. Just pick the mother up, and move her into another cage, then pick out the biggest baby to feed.

Could be missing a bit of protein with that diet... You can give them cooked chicken...if you breed other feeders like mealies or superworms, they love them. My nursing females get mealies or supers once a week. But then, I mix up my own food too so I supplement their main diet with fresh fruits and a bit of meat here and there. Rats are omnivores so their dietary requirements are similar to our own.

>>First off, my albino female had babies yesterday. I heard quiet squeeking and thought "That doesn't sound like a rat" so I peeked in, and holy crap! 7 babies! Didn't even know she was preggers!
>>

Not bad for a first litter. With luck she will have more the next time.

>>Now, does it take longer than humphumphumphump wander off for the females to get preggers? He did this several times to each (the albino wasn't having any of it, tho), and I was wondering how that could possibly be long enough to produce anything?
>>

Nope, they are done. He will likely keep it up til you take him out. But I have, when breeding for colors or types for pets just put a pair together for an hour for a couple days (to be sure and catch her heat) and had fine litters.

>>AND how can I get the babies away from the mom? I tried moving her and her babies to my spare 10g I have set up, but I got latched onto by her on my pinky finger. I decided, fine, leave her with the other. BUT the babies are about the right size to feed to my hatching BP (maybe just a little small, so I'm waiting), so I want to get one away hopefully early this week for her. How can I do that sans being bitten?

Gloves, or block her away with a box. MOST, of mine will come over for love and not bite me until I am in the nest, and then only to gently escort my hand away. But I usually have them meet me at the door, put her on my shoulder, raid the nest and then put her back. With rats I don't trust....I have a pair that was I was given and that have averaged litters over a dozen every time for 6 straight breedings (and so I tolerate them) that nail me all the time if they can, so I block them away with a box.
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Sonya

>>Not bad for a first litter. With luck she will have more the next time.

Okay! So, their litter sizes increase with the more they have? So, 1st=6, 2nd=8 or 9 3rd=10? Or something to that effect?

>>Nope, they are done. He will likely keep it up til you take him out. But I have, when breeding for colors or types for pets just put a pair together for an hour for a couple days (to be sure and catch her heat) and had fine litters.

Reeeaaally? Here I thought he had a BAD case of ADD, lol.

>>Gloves, or block her away with a box. MOST, of mine will come over for love and not bite me until I am in the nest, and then only to gently escort my hand away. But I usually have them meet me at the door, put her on my shoulder, raid the nest and then put her back. With rats I don't trust....I have a pair that was I was given and that have averaged litters over a dozen every time for 6 straight breedings (and so I tolerate them) that nail me all the time if they can, so I block them away with a box.

The rats I got were designated Feeders at the petstore, so they're not terribly "people-friendly." Hopefully, I can get some of the babies to be more social with me. So far, only one (my tan and white one) will tolerate petting, but not being picked up.

Thanks!
-----


-Irish
Email: animistdragon@sbcglobal.net
AIM: VoodooDragon137
YIM: [same as Email addy]
3.3.1 Ball Pythons

No, that's about a normal time frame for the act, with rats. <G> Females go into heat right after they give birth, so that's why he was busy.