Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I'm looking for the easiest species of snake to breed. If somebody has an opinion on what that species is please let me know.

Thanks
Mike

I can't imagine a snake that is easier to breed than the African Housesnake. They breed all year, without hibernation, and will produce up to 6 clutches a year (although that really isn't that good for them).

If someone knows a non-venomous species that is more fecund, I would love to hear about it!

The Housesnake Page

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Chris Harrison
San Antonio, Texas

I have to agree with you Chris, as I recall receiving a pair several years ago and they were copulating in the shipping bag upon arrival!

Jeff
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Jeff Snodgres
University of Arkansas
snodgresjeffreys@uams.edu
501.603.1947

A variety of snakes are fairly easy to breed in captivity. Besides house snakes, corns, kings, milks, garters, and several species of boas and pythons are fairly easy to breed. In my opinion, it is more important to work with a species that you like. A different species may be a tad easier to breed, but that doesn't matter if you don't like it.

So what kinds of snakes do you like. Then we can tell you how easy they are to breed.

Paul Hollander

I'm more into the smaller boa species, garters, and pines.

Mike

I have found Pituophis spp. to be quite simple to produce in captivity, even having a pair of P. m melanoleucus successfully reproduce over the past two years without a brumation period or photo period adjustment. I have simply kept the pair together in a large display enclosure year round and they copulate at the beginning of every February.
I must add, the eggs are quite bullet proof, as I simply place them within a sweater box containing two - three inches of slightly dampened vermiculite and place them on a shelf within a closet with a temperature that remains relatively constant. So far the female has produced 12 eggs annually and I have incurred a 100% hatch rate each year. If only my Drymarchon spp. were as undemanding! ;0)
I have also produced P. m lodingi, P. m mugitus, P. m ruthveni, Pituophis d deppei and P. d janithough these proved to be a bit more demanding, in regards to both breeding and egg incubation.
Unfortunately, I have parted with the majority of my Pituophis spp. in order to devote more time and attention to my Drymarchon spp. projects, but they were a lot of fun to work with and as Paul mentioned earlier, the joy of working with a species should be your primary motivation…

Best regards,

Jeff
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Jeff Snodgres
University of Arkansas
snodgresjeffreys@uams.edu
501.603.1947

Thanks. I'll probably work on making room for some and I totally agree that you should enjoy what you work with.

Thanks
Mike

I have bred Thamnophis radix and Pituophis catenifer sayi. Both are easy once you know how to brumate them. And I know people who breed rainbow boas, though I haven't tried it myself.

Paul Hollander

I would not list Rainbow Boas as "easy" to breed. I do breed them and whiile they are easy to breed, that is ONLY after you provide the correct habitat for them. Heat and humidity are crucial. They also seem to do well with a cooling period to trigger the breeding cycle.
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Thanks,

Dave "Rainbows-R-Us"

0.1 Wife (WC)
0.2 kids (CBB)
4.12 Brazilian Rainbow Boa
2.1 Hypomelanistic BRB
0.1 Het for Hypomelanistic BRB
0.1 BCI "Elvira" normal from 1989
1.0 BCI albino / het-anery
0.1 BCI Hypo / het-albino
0.1 BCI Anery / het-albino
0.1 BCI Hypo (possible super)
1.0 BCI albino het stripe
1.0 BCI salmon hypo
0.1 BCI ghost

lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats