I have been keeping herps my whole life (25 years) and breeding them since age fourteen. I have cared for GTP's sporadically over the last eight years (I have a neonate and a sub-adult at my shop right now) but I have only ever had one in my personal collection. I am about to buy two cbb males and try to sell/trade one for a compatable female. Is it too late to start cycling them? How should I go about doing so? Being '99 CBB adult animals (as apposed to sensitive WC's), how long should I acclimate them to their new environments before I begin cycling them? They are in 2' visions right now. In my herp room they will go into 73 quart tall sterlites temporarily. The one I keep is going into a 70 gallon oceanic lizard lounge in a naturalistic set up. Should I brumate him in the sterlite and then introduce him to the new enclosure? What temps and humidity levels are reccomended for the cycle? How long? Thanks
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Cycling for breeding???
Replies (2)
You can try cycling them...but I wouldn't get my hopes up about them breeding successfully this year. You gotta figure they're coming into a new home, straight into brumation, then breeding. It's possible, but the stress may have you waiting a year.
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Female Ball possibly gravid from 66% poss het axanthic
Trio black rat snakes placed together 12/14/05
Chris LaViola
CMLReptiles
Website under construction
CMLReptiles@aol.com
Chris is right. The stressful move may have them a little too uncomfortable for breeding. If they are eating and acclimating well for you, then by all means give it a shot. Start by cooling them to the low to mid 70's at night and low 80's during the day. Lower light cycles by about an hour per week for 4 weeks. Some people wait to introduce pairs until they've been cooled for a few weeks, but it's not going to hurt them to get aquainted with each other. Breeding usually takes place about an hour after lights out. Always introduce animals when lights are on. Feeding behavior after lights out can spell trouble for introductions. Keep them cool until you see an ovulation.....usually about 2-4 months after the first breeding. I never offer a basking spot above 84-86 degrees. It's just a theory, but I believe high basking temps can and will kill stored sperm before ovulation has occured. If you have any other questions, feel free to email me.
Good luck.
Brandon Osborne
Pictured are a couple of siblings from my '04 SCZ clutch. These are indirect siblings to the famous "Summer". They were hatched 5/9/04.
