Reptile & Amphibian Forums

What is the method for "weighing" or otherwise knowing an emerald is ready/able to safely breed?

My female is 4-5 years old- very VERY healthy. Eats every time she is offered food-- never had regurge problems and she is handlable.

My male is 3-4 years old-- also very healthy- eats every time its offered, etc. good weight- etc

I know about cooling them down, and introducing them.

I am familiar with how ball pythons work-- and most people leave the male in for 2-3 days and then put him with a diff. female--- I have read to just house the 2 emeralds together for a month, seperate and feed and give a week off- and put them back together for a month..... not sure that sounds quite right to me.

Our emeralds are more active than "most" display snakes-- as they are handled regularly and our female has done shows/demonstrations before so they are not just sitting in a cage doing nothing- so I feed twice a month to maintain a healthy weight.... while I am reading other people feed one larger meal once a month?

anyway- I've had my emeralds for a few years and am perfectly happy with how they are health and attitude wise so i'm not looking to change my husbandry-- just get info on breeding processes.

Thanks
~Beth
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Until there are none, Rescue One! Get ready to welcome the new and improved Oklahoma Animal Rescue Group -- Just a few weeks away from getting our 501c3 status!!!!!

oops--- I have emeralds and I know how to breed them lol.

Was wanting the weight requirements and method for amazons.

Thanks
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Until there are none, Rescue One! Get ready to welcome the new and improved Oklahoma Animal Rescue Group -- Just a few weeks away from getting our 501c3 status!!!!!

It sounds like yours are ready. Age seems to be quite a bit more important than weight. If the animal is of a healthy weight for its size, they will be capable of reproducing. The smallest female I have had give me healthy babies was much less than 300g and was right around 200g after giving birth. She was 4-5 years at the time and was housed communally with other amazon tree boas and an emerald on exhibit, and all were split up shortly before she gave birth.

This was not a large litter and there was one still born. I do not consider this too bad considering she was shipped across the country during her pregnancy and was treated heavily for mites upon her arrival. She was also housed in a large rack system for quarentine where I was not aware of her pregnancy, nor did I set the cage up in a way I felt appropriate for a pregnant snake. However, the rack tubs were quite large (~3' x 1.5' x 15" and decent thermoregulation was likely available for an approximately 270g snake.

Under normal cicunstances (which would not be too much different than the above stated breeding went actually) I leave the male with the female for the duration of the breeding season and remove usually when I see significant swelling. Offer her food and she will refuse appropriately on her own.

The biggest key (in my opinion) is making sure she has room to thermoregulate. Well, that and making sure you are prepared for the birth so you don't find one of these climbing a cord on the other side of the room like I did with this one.