Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Forgot to post this here! Noticed a female out and about during the day time which is very ususual so in went a male! W/in 30 minutes they were locked up...for over an hour too!

Bill

Keep us posted.

Mike
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1.1.9 Cal. Kings
1.0 Ball Python
0.0.1 Jungle Carpet Python
0.0.2 African House Snakes
0.0.1 Oketee Corn Snake
0.1 Salmon Boa Constrictor
0.0.1 Marbled Salamander
0.0.1 Japanese Fire-Bellied Newt
0.2 Labs

Any chance I could get a bigger picture of what your set up looks like. I've had a pair of mangroves since May, and their doing great, but I'm looking for ideas to make things look better. I keep them in a plexiglass cage meant for chondros, with cypress mulch as bedding, decent size water dishes, and a live plant in each cage. Your's look a little more intricate though, so I'm just curious to see what all is going on.

I'll see what I can do. This pair is in a Vision cage..not sure the model but the basic "square" size w/the dome-light tube that drops down. I have elevated hides in all my Mangrove cages (16) which I feel is mandatory..they need a secure resting spot and I don't feel they like to sleep in the day exposed..if offered, they will always choose the hide.

I have radiant heat in all the cages (the bulk are Barrs cages), lots of random branches and fake greenery. DTHs are 87F w/a NTD down to 78F. The hides are situated near the panels. I mist every other day. I have lost a male to cannibalism by a female of very similar size so I only have 2 "pairs" I feel comfortable keeping together year 'round.

I usually watch the females and put a male in w/them when I feel they're "ready". One sign I've noted (and was evident shortly before putting the male in and getting the resulting copulation pic) is that if you see females out during the day or, in this female's case, out and coiled on the ground during the day, its time to put a male w/her.

If the female is receptive the reaction by the male is almost immediate w/typical Colubrid courtship. Females will usually resist and flee but after about 30 minutes they usually tie up. Once a successful copulation or two has ocurred, the male shows no more interest at all. Make sure the female is well fed at all times! I'll try to get some pics but that female is coiled right under the panel..out of her box, so I hope she's thermoregulating her developing eggs! I don't want to disturb her.
Bill

Have another odd question I'm hoping you can answer. My two mangroves are ALL OVER EACH OTHER. My question though is, when yours breed, are they on the ground, or up high? Both mine are high up in the plants and just on top of each other for the past 36 hours.

Like most Colubrids they breed when the female quits running and allows the male to copulate. Mine have bred on the ground and in the branches. When breeding/courting the action is obvious...much like big King Snakes..you might try separating them for a month at a time then do reintroductions...this is what I do and it allows me to gauge the female's receptiveness. As I mentioned before, if she's receptive the male should begin chasing her almost immediately.

Bill