Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi,
I have all 3 madagascan species, I think my Gaeyi female is gravid(more by luck than judgement), but I would like to breed my modestus and giants. any hints or tips? How do you bruminate them?

I am interested in this as well, but have been unable to find specific information on the process. This is the information I have compiled.

The central area in madagascar where they are from as far as temps are concerned is very similar to the subtropical climate I have in South Florida. With the southern hemisphere winter (our summer) approaching freezing at night, with temps in the 60's during the day. The southern hemisphere winter is markedly dry. The S. hemisphere summer is very wet. With lows in the 70's, and highs in the mid 80's to mid 90's. They do brumate in burrows at the base of trees in the winter.

The key may be to be patient. According to Bert Langerwerf of Agama International, "It may take 3-5 years to adapt a newly imported S.hemisphere animal to a N.hemisphere cycle."

Also, there is one photo depicting madagascariensis engaged in ritualistic male combat, similar to N.A. Rattlesnakes. Weather or not such combat would help to induce breeding is anyones guess.

Another thing to consider is the Madagascan climate is extraoridinarily variable...from freezing cold winters and hot summers, to warm/mild all year.
Unfortunately, we have no way of knowing from whence our snakes came.

I intend to approach the dillemma by cycleing them normally as per temperate north american colubrids, except adding daily misting to the regimen during warm up.

Perhaps the madagascan boa breeders, or even the chameleon folks could add some insight?

Best of luck, and hopefully someone who has had some success can chime in and help me too.
Ron
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Alone is an unfortunate predicament...LONE is an aesthetic choice.

Thanks for that. I was ltold to treat them like a north american colubrid, but i am not willing to cool them to 50f so i will try 60f. My gaeyi, I think have done it, i have had them for 2 years and the female looks gravid., my giants are cb, and I have a cb pair of modestus babies, and a new pair of wc adults, which, I am struggling to get to eat currently, In stunning condition, just stubborn!

My 1.2 gaeyi are all wild caught LTC. My first female was a sub-adult when I got her in '00 as a rescue. The first two years she ate sparingly during our summer months, then turned into a piglet come October--I chalked it up to her being a southern hemisphere snake, and kept her in the warm herp room.

I picked up 1.1 at a herp show two years ago. The previous keeper had them for two years before selling them. They immediately cycled with my north american colubrids, but didn't breed. This year all of them cycled with the na cols.; only went down a few weeks later and I sprayed them as I was warming them up. He's been quite the amorous suitor when introduced into the girls' enclosures. So, now I am hopeful for a successful breeding. My herp room's ambient temp is about 78, and they seem to thrive in there.

regards,
althea

Thank you very much for that. Did you light cycle them or drop the temps? I think one pair of my gaeyi have done it, the female is large and off her food, definite bumps can be seen and i dont think its poop! Fingers crossed.

Temp--no choice. I moved them down to the "cool" end of the herp room for the winter--ambient about 74/70. Because of other species also in the room, the 12/12 light cycle remained. However, they spent most of their down time burrowed under their cork bark slabs.

regards,
althea