iHerp Answers: BP Breeding Advice/Tips

iHerp Answers!

Problem?

Search Create an Account, It's Free!

Home > iHerp Answers > BP Breeding Advice/Tips

BP Breeding Advice/Tips

Posted By:

ashleighdawn

Hi everyone.

I've been researching breeding ball pythons for a few months and I've found that a lot of people breed, but almost everyone has different techniques/advice. I want to do as much research as I possibly can before I get a hold of some adults (as mine are all ENTIRELY too young) haha.

To make this as easy as I can, I'll list my general questions/things I've read that I'm curious about, so as to get the best/most direct answers I need:

1. What are the recommended weights for breeding? (Males and females). I've heard females should be 1500-1800+, but no one seems to have a collective answer for males. I've heard/read as low as 300g and as high as 1000g.

2. I've read several breeders who say they stop feeding their BPs and increase the temps/humidity a bit for a few weeks before introducing them to each other. Is this actually necessary, and if so, why is this done?

3. I've also read that it's best to introduce the female to the male in HIS cage/tank/home. True? Why?

4. Honestly, (Not sounding snide or arrogant...I really to want to know!) how difficult is the breeding process? Ovbiously everyone is a "newbie" once...

5. Any tips/pointers for incubation? In my research, I've really been focusing on what I need to for the adults, and was going to research the incubation further once I got all the "pre-baby" stuff figured out first. But, since I'm posting...I figured I'd ask here to see what y'all could tell me. :)

I just want to make sure when the time comes, I'm doing everything I need to do to make sure my snakes are comfortable, and most importantly...to make sure that I take care of the eggs so they have a successful incubation.

Thanks in advance for the help!!


Points:	100
Topics:	Copulation , Knowledge Base , Incubation
Tags:	Age, Breeding, Incubation, Methods, Python, Regius, Weight
Species:	Pythons > Pythons > Python regius
Administrative:	Show/Hide

Member Comment

8/24/2010 6:51:53 PM

2Nyce_Tech

Ive had weights for breeding males in the 600 range (and about a year old). Females however i wait until they are 1300+ and 2+ years old. You dont want them too fat but you also have to make sure they arent too small as breeding takes a toll on the females body. I dont stop feeding mine, and i dont raise the temps. Mine are in a room where the day/night cycle changes with the seasons. Once the nights start to get shorter and the nighttime temps drop by a few degrees- thats when i start ( just started with another pair now) Ive found no real difference in who gets introduced to who however i do happen to put my females into the males enclosure. Breeding is relatively easy - its the keeping the eggs correct that takes some effort/practice. Reptibator works good for incubating the eggs.

Accepted Answer

8/26/2010 3:02:36 AM

shellboa

1. The weight of the female is the important factor because she is the one who has to produce the eggs from her body's resources. I will not breed any female under 2+ years and under 1500g. She also has to look healthy and be a consistent eater. No good to get a female to lay eggs and then not eat and she dies. Males can bred as young as 6 months and as small as 300g. The reason you want a bigger healthier male is that he will potentially produce more sperm.

2. I don't stop feeding mine but I do cut back, and I do keep the temps a tad lower. There are as many opinions on this subjact as there are corn snake colors!! Best thing I can tell you is pick the most reasonable theory and see if it works for you.

3. You introduce the female into the males environment so it is easier for him to find her, male snakes "look" by scent. Hence the reason a freshly shed female is more enticing.

4. The breeding process itself isn't that difficult. It is the incubation and care of neonates that presents the greatest challenge. Often the reason "newbies" don't get a lot of results with their first attempts at breeding is that; their snake turns out to be the wrong sex, the female is too young/small, the male has been kept to hot and has no viable sperm, it is the wrong time of year and they are "not in the mood"

5. I suggest not breeding until you get the incubation part figured out. Not to mention what you are going to do with these babies once they hatch. I sell normal ball pythons for $25 these days, pastels don't go for much more. I have not tried a Reptibator but have heard they are not cheap. I use a styrofoam shipping box (like they ship meat and chocolate in) and an aquarium heater on a Helix proportional thermostat. I get 99% humidity and a pretty steady temp. That set up costs about $250 for every thing. You can use an old school hovabator (at most feed stores) but keeping them at a steady temp is a challenge. If you don't know any local breeders buy the Mccurley book or just do trial and error like the rest of us. :)

Member Comment

8/26/2010 9:23:20 PM

DiamondFlame

I've heard the reptibator works pretty well except that it's small, so it depends on how many clutches you want. I've heard it can fit 2 clutches comfortably... maybe 3 if they are small. I haven't started breeding yet so I can't tell you my experiences yet, as I'm hoping to start next year. One thing about perlite... make sure that it isn't mixed with fertilizers because they will kill your eggs =x Just be aware. :D

Member Comment

8/28/2010 12:06:17 PM

exoticcritterss

the Reptibators cost about $125 and can hold 2 good size clutches :-)

Member Comment

8/28/2010 9:50:53 PM

Nitram

im surprised people use techniques to breed bps, there's really nothing to it. just pair and wallah! by far the easiest thing to breed, EVER. make sure your female is 2 plus years, 1500g is good, male just needs to be alive basically.... 8 months is good though, if it matters, and anywhere in the 500g range rules (which in 6 months your male should surpass 500g anyway). only thing really that you have to actually worry about, after realizing you have a healthy breeding pair, is incubation. the right temps/humidity and youre golden. also its good to remove infertiles, as they rot and mold, and ive heard of mold transfering to good eggs. dont remember if it effected the good eggs, but why wouldnt it? its mold! +1 shellboa, dont breed a female thats a problem feeder (if she's underweight already, and/or has been off feed for a couple of months already). they dont eat much during gestation if at all, so any stored nutrients will come in handy. no need to cool, or wait for a certain part of the year to breed... people swear they have better success by practicing this, but ive seen awesome clutches (10+ eggs) that are off-season and without precooling.. for the record, these clutches had amazing odds as well, but i think thats just luck! bps are breeding machines, they're the rodents of the reptile world.

Member Comment

8/29/2010 2:39:41 PM

cmor1031

I know it has basically already been answered, but I am not sure if anyone actually said this...for the males, basically as long as they are producing sperm plugs, they can breed. Now, that can be when they are 300 grams, or it can be when they are 600 grams. It all depends on the male. But if they are producing sperm, then they are most likely ready to get it on... :)

Member Comment

9/19/2010 1:37:03 AM

CrEYEhavok

Just a repeat of what's above.. f= 1500+, though unwisely have produced viable clutched with smaller.. M= as long as they are producing plugs, this year our smallest male, a 500ish gram male black pastel produced our biggest clutch, 9 eggs.. Who to introduce to who?.. with balls, we put our males in with the girls, since we have our males going with mutiple girls it's just easier to move them through the racks.. Samething with Boas.. kings are the only thing that we but girls into the guys cages, otherwise we might end up with one less snake as the girls think most things in their cages are food..

Member Comment

9/19/2010 1:43:49 AM

CrEYEhavok

Forgot the incubator part... If you are only doing a few clutches the styro foam is great.. If you are going bigger look on craigslist or your local paper for old/broken/cheap freezer/fridge, pick you fave heating element(heat tape, bulbs, ceramic,ect..), a good thermostat, and if you want a couple computer fans for circulation and you can make a great incubator that can hold many many clutches... If you want to go through the trouble you can pull out all the fridge parts to make it lighter

You are not logged in. If you would like to participate (it's free!), you must log in, or Become a Member!