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I wanted to get the general opinion on housing eastern indigos together during breeding. Do most people only place them together just long enough to copulate and then separate them immediately after (so only for a couple hours at a time) or do some people leave them housed together though out the breeding season. Thanks in advance.

Mike
mikesreptiles.webs.com

Good question...I have tried both, keeping them together multiple days, and also keeping together only for a few hours actual copulating time. I often keep them together for a day or two, then separate and feed them, then reintroduce in a couple days. However, I recently had a scary moment, and a huge male C. couperi who had never shown any agression before seized a female that I had hoped he would breed again...I think with intent to eat her. I quickly separated them...but it was a close call and I did not see it coming. Contrary to what respected breeder R. Bruce reports with his males, I see little reduction in feeding response with my males during the breeding trials...they are usually hungry. I often see quick copulation after introducing a pair, which makes it easy. However, others don't "do it" for days...and then they breed in the middle of the night in the dark. I don't have it all figured out...let me know when you do! Vic

I think Vic is right. This is not a science YET. I have a male couperi who seems to only breed during the night. He seems to show no interest when I intro him to the females. When I check him the morning after they are locked up. Other males start courting as soon as they are aware of the female.
With their fairly long ties I tend to keep them together for at least 24 hours a visit. They are only together while breeding.
My females usually eat during the breeding season but my males have little appetite during that time. Perhaps my guys are kept a little cooler than Vic's guys.
Gale

Thank you Vic and Gale for sharing your experiences. Definitely very helpful information. I put my indigos together several days ago and they started breeding instantly (not sure if they actually copulated though). After they departed from one another I separated them. Then a day later I put them together again and once again they attempted to breed. Afterwards, I separated them again. The third time I placed them together, however, they didn't show much interest so I left them together over night. I'll probably wait wait another day and then separate them.

Does anyone have any tips or advice to help reduce the risk of cannibalism? Can anyone speak about their experience regarding which temperatures and humidity levels help induce breeding the most?

Thanks,
Mike
www.mikesreptiles.webs.com

mike, just make sure the male is always well fed, that's all. i had my unicolors together for almost 10 years w/out a single incident. i think these tales of drys going around eating each other are greatly exaggerated. but if they come across another type of snake, all bets are off!

Thanks Dan! Like you said, the tales of drys cannibalizing one another seem a bit exaggerated online (or perhaps it's just that bad news travels faster).

Perhaps I've been more concerned about this matter than I should be, but I've come up with a couple habits that might be helping and so I thought I'd share and maybe get some feedback.

My male has a considerably stronger feeding response relative to the female. Very much a bite first ask questions later attitude. So, I've kept the most recent shedding from the female and I place it in his tank allowing him to smell and "explore" it a bit prior to actually placing her in the tank with him. I noticed his attitude changes from that of a predator on the hunt to what appears to be a much more docile one.

Also, I let them soak in a bin with some water separately, prior to placing them together to help reduce any scent of rats or quails that might be lingering on the snakes from their last feeding. I don't do this every time though. Just if I plan to put them together shortly after a feeding.

Again, this might be overkill or might not be. Thoughts?

Thanks,
Mike
mikesreptiles.webs.com

You are wise to be cautious, I like your idea of introducing a shed skin to change the mood from feeding to romance. I recently had an incident, a feeding response I think, the first time I have seen this "agression"...puncture wounds were superficial because I was there when he shot out of his box like a javelin and clamped on to the late breeding female. I know some guys say their males turn off the feeding when in a breeding mode, but not mine... Timing is everything, and I have left them together for a week at a time, but no longer will I do that, the consequences of missing a queue and having a female bit up are too great, and it will really leave you singing the blues if it happens. I also think best to introduce several hours or a day later when feeding response is minimized. Vic

Previous post a late night error...
I meant to state: ..."I also think it is best to introduce several hours or a day after feeding them when feeding response is minimized."

Also, R.Bruce suggested in a recent published article to have a separate cage for breeding, where niether of the pair has an established territory, and that may make sense. I have only had one agressive event in 10 years of keeping them, but it can happen anytime and you are prudent to be cautious. I did not see it coming...and I know of other similar incidents which were far more serious, one even fatal. Some of these appeared to be "agression", I don't think necessarily the loser was going to be consumed...these were well respected keepers with extensive experience (not all good...).

Good luck with your husbandry of Drymarchon and thanks for sharing. Vic

So far, I'm seeing that about half of the time I introduce them together they attempt to breed instantly. Interesting enough, even when the male is entering shed he still attempts to breed. As you have reported Vic, I am also not seeing a drop in the male's feeding so far. Here is a picture of my guys earlier today with the male going into shed yet not deterred.

Thanks,
Mike

mikesreptiles.webs.com

Best Saint Patricks he has ever had.

Haha... You're probably right.
mikesreptiles.webs.com