Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hey; I've posted a few questions about breeding my hondurans in concern of size differences and possible harm. The first time I introduced my tricolor amel male to my tricolor(normal) female, the male showed some interest, but eventually they just hid under newspaper together. No negative responce from the female or male. I began keeping them together for a few days till the next feeding. Seems to be less interest, but no negative responce. Since I live in new jersey, I usually just limit the light and don't heat the room much, and it cools to about 60 in the cages. Unlike my other males, who began ignoring feeds, twitching tails and showing increased activity, my male kept eating and continued his normal activeness. No more, no less. I was told that he is not infirtile, and has many years to go, and I believe this. If he were infirtile, would he show no interest still? I've read that snakes sometimes breed even when showing 0 interest. I've introduced them four times with little responce. Any advice? Should I wait another season, when one would normally double-clutch? Thanks,
-Sean

Sean,
You probably have months to go before you have to think about giving up.

If they're showing no interest, i WOULD separate them. Maybe introducing them again later (a week? two?) might elicit a response.

Also, are you familiar with combating the male? Remove the female and put another male with the disinterested one. They will most likely engage in some physical bumping and shoving, may even twine tails & cruise bodies & look like breeding activity. Sometimes after a spell of that (10 minutes? an hour, depending on lhow vigorous, you don't want them hurting each other) a male that had not responded to a female will start responding.

But she's not showing an interest either, it sounds like--that would be evidenced by stretching out her body and raising her tail. , or at least crawling over the male trying to generate some interest. So right now it sounds like neitheri s ready. I don't know when you warmed your animals (returned them to normal temps and vigorous feeding) but breeding might not be expected to begin til a month to two months after that. And SOME females just don't cycle--ovulate--until after 3rd or even 4th sheds. One key to look for is if she's really gorging. In my experience a female that's gonna breed does that. Whether the gorging brings about the ovulation or is a response to it i don't know, but i almost never see a female breed if she just eats sporadically in the spring. UNLESS she starts eating vigorously later in the spring or summer and then she may become one of those late breeders.

Fertility simply means an animal is capable of reproducing--a male produces numerous, lively viable sperm, or a female produces good eggs capable of being fertilized. It has nothing to do with whether or not the animal engages in reproductive activity. I suppose an animal might lack the impulse to breed whether or not it's fertile, but i don't think that's the issue. An infertile (sterile) male could show breeding activity, for ex, and a fertile one might not, for a variety of reasons. I even have some females that will elicit a breeding response from one male but not another male even though both males are routinely breeding other females. And i have a few females that will accept the advances of one male but not another. That's not typical, but it happens.

Good luck. I assume you have confirmed the sexes, btw.
Terry
>>Hey; I've posted a few questions about breeding my hondurans in concern of size differences and possible harm. The first time I introduced my tricolor amel male to my tricolor(normal) female, the male showed some interest, but eventually they just hid under newspaper together. No negative responce from the female or male. I began keeping them together for a few days till the next feeding. Seems to be less interest, but no negative responce. Since I live in new jersey, I usually just limit the light and don't heat the room much, and it cools to about 60 in the cages. Unlike my other males, who began ignoring feeds, twitching tails and showing increased activity, my male kept eating and continued his normal activeness. No more, no less. I was told that he is not infirtile, and has many years to go, and I believe this. If he were infirtile, would he show no interest still? I've read that snakes sometimes breed even when showing 0 interest. I've introduced them four times with little responce. Any advice? Should I wait another season, when one would normally double-clutch? Thanks,
>> -Sean

I have not heard of combating and I'll try it with caution. Both sexes are confirmed; I'll probably wait a week or two before introducing again, and if not then I'll wait for the female's next shed. She has been eating heavily, and seems to be more active then normal around the male, and completely passive when he is moving around or over her. I don't plan on giving up until I get a clutch; I have confidence that they'll mate after her shed. Thanks for all the great info.
-Sean