Reptile & Amphibian Forums

It's the start of winter here in Fiji, and I think we are ready to start the breeding project I've been talking about for over a year now. So far all our captive born neonates have been accidents from wild-caught pregnant females. I'd like to do something with more direction.

I have read up as much as I can from out here, (and thanks to Jerry Conway's Candoia page) but I am in a place with limited facilities and no-one with previous experience, so I'd really appreciate very specific advice and expertise. And please forgive me for the inevitable stupid questions...

The Plan:
Between three people keeping Fiji Boa Candoia bibroni bibroni, (at Fijian ambient temperatures and light levels of course) we have two large (about 1.5m) females (one brown/grey, one black with a BLAZING red belly), and four much smaller males (225 gms in weight, just under 1m long and about a third of the girth of the females). The males are quite varied in colour, tending to brown/grey/pinkish with partially red bellies. (I'll post some new pics soon, but see my photo gallery.)

QUESTION 1: Does this size difference sound OK? Don't want anyone to get crushed or swallowed!

Winter has started: lowest nighttime temps of 20oC (68oF), daytime 26 - 28oC (79 - 82oF) for the past 2 weeks. This should continue for another 2- 3 months. It's usually coldest in July/ August.

QUESTION 2: Am I right in thinking that the best time to put them together would probably be about July when it's been cold for 4-6 weeks?

QUESTION 3: As I have 4 males and 2 females, what's the best way to put them together to stimulate follicle production?
All four males with one female at a time?
All four males and both females in the same tank?
Two males with each female, in separate tanks?

QUESTION 4: How long should the males be left in with the females?

I have more questions, but if you've read this far (thank you!), you're probably suffering from post fatigue by now so I'll leave them for other postings.

Many thanks for all advice!
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Further to my questions, here are pics of the boas in question:

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Female being held for size comparison with males

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Helen,
Are you housing the Candoia inside your home or outdoors?
Scott

Hi Scott,

A bit of both. My males are inside the house, but the house is very open air, so they are at ambient temperature and have natural air circulation (very breezy!)

The other males and the females (at other keepers' places) are in outdoor enclosures made of wood with mesh sides, protected from rain, but otherwise in fully natural conditions.

Thanks for the interest, all tips and hints welcome!
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HELEN, WAIT FOR LATE JUNE...COOL THEM FOR 5 OR 6 WEEKS...PUT ALL 6 ANIMALS TOGETHER FOR 2 WEEKS STRAIGHT...JUST LEAVE THEM ALONE...DONT WORRY ABOUT SIZE...KEEP ME POSTED...GOOD LUCK! ...JERRY

Hi Jerry, thanks for that, I have another question.

As we are thinking of putting snakes from three different keepers together, we are a bit neurotic about cross infection. I'm wondering about the length of disease-free time we should observe before put them all together and whether a Betadine bath beforehand would be sufficient to safeguard everyone's animals.

Specifically my snakes appear disease free, but the owner of the females had a couple of unexplained deaths while he was away (about 4 months ago) The inexpert snake sitter did not keep the snakes so we can't autopsy, and she described "Flu-like symptoms" (so I presume a respiratory infection, but we are not certain of this). The remaining snakes seem currently healthy.

The two other males look in good health but have recently been in the same (very large, open air) enclosure as one with what seems to be very slowly advancing mouth rot. I've suggested he quarantine the infected animal immediately. It hasn't seemed to be in physical contact with the healthy males.

So I am proposing to keep a close eye on all snakes for the next 4 weeks, get them all over to my (disease-free for over 2.5 years) enclosure, Betadine bath them, keep them separate for a week or so and then introduce them.

Does this sound realistic? Not enough? Overkill? I REALLY don't want to lose my males over this...

Sorry this is such a long question, I think it should only require a short answer.

Many thanks, it' great to have someone to ask!
Helen
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Helen,
How hard is it to come by the Candoia there? Is it alot of red tape to collect them? If not, I would try to establish your own indoor/outdoor enclosures with your own group. It's kinda the only way to provent other keeper's mistakes from affecting you. If it is very difficult to acquire new animals there, I would set up a breeding arrangement with other keepers, but establish the animals in one area for a season (in order to quarantine) and then attempt breedings for the next season.
Best of luck with all of them.
Scott

Not sure if these would help or not, but here are a few photos to some indoor/outdoor tropical enclosures since you are in their natural environment.

www.kingsnake.com/bushmaster/facility/index.htm

Hi Scott,

Collecting the snakes is not a red tape issue (there are no restrictions in Fiji, just on export), just a logistical and ethical one.

So far the wild caught snakes we have were rescues found when Fijians were clearing forest and would otherwise have killed them. I feel a bit squeamish about asking them to collect snakes that are presumably perfectly happy in their natural environment so that I can put them in tanks....

And the other has been just misfortune in always having the wrong sex at the wrong time. Initially we had all females and couldn't find males. Now we have males finally old enough to mate and most of our available females have died...

Thanks for the enclosure enclosure pics, I'll look them over for tips for what we can do here.

Cheers,
Helen

THATS BAD NEWS HELEN...USE ONLY YOUR GROUP...IF YOU DONT TRUST THE HEALTH OF THE OTHERS, ITS NOT WORTH EXPOSING MOUTH ROT TO YOUR ANIMALS...GOOD LUCK...AND POST SOME MORE PICS!!...JERRY

Hi Jerry, thanks for the response;
I can avoid the males that have been in contact with mouth rot, but do you think it's still a risk to put my males with the female? She appears healthy but has been in a place where other snakes had "Flu like" symptoms 4 months ago. If she was infected I presume she'd have had her own symptoms by now. Am I right?

Thanks again
Helen

Hi Helen,

It is going to be very hard whilst your keping these snakes in their natural environment, especially outside, to keep them 100% healthy and free from the natural parasites etc.

You should only put the healthy animals together, as a matter of course keepers would probably give 6 months for a reptiles to clear a quarantine period, but in your case I would go for it.

I would use the natural weather pattern to determine when to put the snakes together, the time you said would fit jsut about right over there, and leave them in together for as long as they are willing to copulate, the longer they are at it the better chance of the females taking.

I'm sure everyone here will agree that no one has bred C.b.b in any consistance if much at all in captivity so we will be learning from you! Record it all helen and keep us informed!

Cheers Matt

P.S I've replyed to your e-mail, sorry been mad at work as you have!

I know everyone is of the mentality of introducing the individuals at certain times, but since you are in Fiji, why don't you try housing multiple pairs together year round? (once they pass a clean bill of health, and you have selected the animals you would like to use) Instead of trying to choose their timing sequence for them, allow them to cycle naturally; again since you and the snakes are in Fiji. A couple more sources for you to toss outdoor ideas around with...

Tom Crutchfield
www.tomcrutchfield.com/2009/index.php?option=com_morfeoshow&task=view&gallery=1&Itemid=55

Frank Retes (FR)
www.varanus.net/forums/list.php?2

Absolutly agree with Scott that you couldn't be in a better place to be trying to breed these, and no one can replicate their Natural Habitat exactly, but you don't have too.

I think it would only help if you kept the males seperated for the summer months and spur them on to mate. But certainly give them as much time as they need to do their thing!

Thanks for the the responses.

I'd love to keep them in pairs, we've just had unfortunate timing: between 3 enthusiasts we had 5 mature females and no males last year, now we have 5 males getting to breeding size but after an unfortunate sequence of escapes and accidents, only 2 breedable size females, one of whom is currently on another island so I'll have to do a "Snakes on a plane" trip, and while the other seems healthy she was housed with 2 who died of unknown causes... hence all the Qs about quarantine.

Still, thinking of trying soon: nightly temps now below 20oC (70oF) and stormy, so should be in the mood at least. One male (not one of mine) flashed his hemipenes at his owner the other day, so presume spring is in the air........

You said snake "sitter". So, if seemingly healthy snakes were being watched for what I'd assume was a short time period and the snakes suddenly died, but NO dead snakes were available when I got back, I personally would really think someone was pulling a fast one on me. Respiratory infections aren't usually sudden death. That just seems suspicious, especially when these animals are being kept in their native environment. Anyway, best of luck with your breedings.

4 MONTHS SHOULD BE OKAY HELEN...TRY IT...AND LEEP A CLOSE WATCH OVER THEM...JERRY

Thanks, now we just have to sort out who amongst 3 of us has the most secure caging for long term loan... it's a trust thing!

Cheers,
Helen

HELEN, I HAVE THE SOLUTION FOR YOU....SEND ALL OF YOUR SNAKES TO ME....LOL...GOOD LUCK...KEEP POSTING PICS....JERRY

Aha! Cunning Business Strategy!

In the cold weather my snakes seem to like to be darker than in warm weather.... photos soon.

Cheers,
Helen