Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I'm in Fiji with a selection of native Fiji Boas Candoia bibroni bibroni. We are trying to start a captive breeding programme.

Can anyone give us an idea at what weight / size / age both sexes are mature enough to breed?

Many thanks,
Helen

YOU ARE A LUCKY LADY HELEN....LIVING IN CANDOIA COUNTRY....I HAD SOME BEAUTIFUL BIBRONI AUSTRALIS MANY YEARS AGO....I SOLD THE GROUP AFTER MY DIVORCE IN 2001....I WISH YOU LUCK....BRING SOME OVER HERE!....LOL....JERRY

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Hi Jerry,

I love these snakes! We have nice colour variations, including one jet black female with a red belly which I'm very anxious to breed.

Currently we have 2 proven wild caught breeding females, and 3 coming up to what I hope is breeding size, and 5 x 18-month old first generation captive born males and females.

Once we get some second generation captive born we may be able to get some breeding stock into the USA. Hence my questions about minimum breeding size - I'm wondering at what age the first generation captive born are likely to be breedable? Currently they're about 70cm long (2 and a half feet) and weigh about 50gm, maybe more by now, haven't weighed them for a couple of months and they're eating weekly. The wild caught females are between 4 and 6 feet long, but we are having trouble sourcing a large male (a slight drawback...)

Any ideas about minimum age / weight or length for males and females?

Cheers,
Helen

HELEN, I'VE NEVER WEIGHED A SNAKE IN MY LIFE....I GO BY SIZE AND AGE....THE 4 - 6 FOOTERS SHOULD BE BREEDABLE....BUT THE 2 FOOTERS SHOULD NEED ANOTHER YEAR OR SO....DO YOU GO OUT IN THE WILD AND CATCH THESE SNAKES YOURSELF?....I WOULD LOVE TO SEE SOME PHOTOS....JERRY

Helen,
Are you referring to Fiji Island Boas Candoia bibroni bibroni or Solomon Island Tree Boas Candoia bibroni australis? Either way, I agree with Jerry....we would really love to see some pics of them in the wild!
Scott

SRX,

You are killing me with that photo!

j
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John R. Stebbins
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1.1 Candoia bibroni australis
0.2 Candoia carinata carinata
1.0 Candoia paulsoni
2.0 elaphe guttata guttata

Helen I used to breed C. b. austalis years ago. The males can and are usually quite a bit smaller than females in C. b. bibroni. Many years ago I had females that were 7' long. I think a male as small as 2-3' could easily do the job...TC

Hi and thanks to all who responded to my question. Sorry I've been off the forum for a while: life got hectic.

My two male 2.5 year old Candioa bibroni bibroni are now weighing in at 225 gms and are an estimated 80 - 90 cm long, so from what you say maybe they are ready to try breeding. The females I have access to are more like 1.5m long and many times thicker bodied, so it'll be an uneven contest, but maybe it'll only be me who's traumatised

I'm in Fiji, where our colder season is July/August, and from what Jerry writes on his Candoia page they are best bred after a cooler time, so maybe I'll have plucked up the courage to try around September.

I'll also try and post some photos for you, (I say try because a) I'm in an area with SLOW connections and b) I'm a technical idiot).

Thanks for the interest.
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