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I bought a group of eastern kings in the fall. One of the PHet albino females was large enough to hibernate for breeding this spring. I chilled her right along with my other breeders. Another PHet female that was a little too small, has just reached 36" and 300g. Should I chill her for a month or so and try to breed her this spring or wait until next season and pack more weight onto her frme in the mean time? She is an '01.

Bob Bull

>>I bought a group of eastern kings in the fall. One of the PHet albino females was large enough to hibernate for breeding this spring. I chilled her right along with my other breeders. Another PHet female that was a little too small, has just reached 36" and 300g. Should I chill her for a month or so and try to breed her this spring or wait until next season and pack more weight onto her frme in the mean time? She is an '01.
>>
>>Bob Bull
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Hi Bob,

I would wait another year just to be safe. Everything would probably work out fine and I'd bet you'd get a few hatchlings too. But I shudder when I think of having to aspirate an egg through the body cavity wall of an eggbound little girl because I didn't wait.

Actually, I've been mulling over the same dilemma in my collection. I have a few '02 het albinos that will be on the cusp of breeding size in the spring, I haven't actually hatched an albino eastern yet and I reaallly want to, but I think I'm gonna hold off. Good luck to you, whatever you decide. Take care.

Will

Bob Bull

I agree with Keith, if it were a 03 animal. But since your female is a 01, I don't think it would hurt to cool her off and give it a shot (provided that she's been eating real good since you had her last fall). You will not get too many babies from her, but she's definetely old and big enough to breed. I don't see any harm in it (due to her age).

BTW: Why is she so small? Did someone not feed her too often or was she sick in the past? Two examples:
I have 01 female that's 52" right now. But on the other extreme, I have a 03 female that I consider very small due to an eating/digestion problem that lasted for 8 months! And she's still managed to get up to around 30" currently (Her brother is a little over 42" and eats like a pig!)

Good luck and keep me/us posted!

Zee

Zee, she's eating very well for me. A gain of 26g in three weeks. I don't believe these animals were fed very well, I acquired 7 snakes and 6 were on the light side. One was the non-drinker, but he has come around after about 3 weeks of hand watering. They have all filled out and seem to be doing nicely.

Bob Bull

have to think it over real hard. But if you wait, you can't go wrong! So there's the best decision, in my opinion!

Zee