First ever breeding attempt!

OK, thanks for the help! My female has not shed at all this year, and i'm not seeing signs of ovulation either. Regardless, my male is incredibly persistent in his advances to breed. So should I wait until she sheds to introduce them again, or just keep introducing them every few days until they breed? I also didn't brumate my snakes.

Honestly, I'm not really the person to ask....seeing as I'm so new into this as well but I'll tell you what I think then hope I'm going in the right direction and that someone more advanced can answer it better for ya.

To my knowledge you should be able to pair them up continuously until she either sheds again or lays. But keep in mind you will want to keep them separate when they eat, and when they are in shed. The schedule I keep is, feed on monday or tuesday, then pair back up thursday-sunday. That way, they have time to digest their food in peace.
Also, if you male is being persistent, that could mean that she is ovulating. But not always, some males are just eager. The female gives off pheromones that tell the male its time to do the deed, so if he's going nuts around her, it could be she is ovulating, and your just not catching them hooking up.

So the short answer to your question is yes, I would continue to pair them up until she sheds. Then after she sheds, offer her food....if she refuses then that means she could likely be gravid....but put him in with her a few more days after she shed, just in case.

Hope that helps and it was the right advice!

Exciting!

Ok... about shipping... You either need to get FedEx certified, or you can use Ship Your Reptiles... which means you don't have to get certified.
I just use Ship Your Reptiles, because it is easier... however they have had problems staying around so they may not be available always and forever.

If you want to breed corns but don't want all the babies, don't incubate all the eggs!
If the female lays 20 eggs, incubate 8 or so and freeze the rest.

You will be keeping and feeding the babies for quite a while unless you have a place to sell them to. I have made connections with local pet stores and now I just give them everything but my hold backs... I get about $10/snake.

I have had SO MANY problems getting baby ball pythons to eat. Maybe I'm just not a ball python person.
I'm sticking to colubrids from now on... much less of a headache.

Why put them in more than once to breed? Just like humans, it doesn't always take the first time.
Plus, why not? I think that it is good for the male snakes at least. I've found that I can usually get the males to take food after they breed, whereas if they are still in the mood but don't breed, they will refuse meals.

I also think it is good exercise and hopefully it is enjoyable. I mean, us humans like it... other animals seem to like it... I hope that the snakes get some kind of enjoyment and we aren't just torturing them.

I put the males in every three days with the females until the females show no interest anymore for two times in a row.

Then the females get their lay boxes and small water dishes.

Of course, this method isn't full-proof. Last year, Bastet was still receptive up until she laid... and she didn't shed... so she laid an egg in her water dish before I caught her.

So, this year after the first female sheds, I'm removing all large water dishes and putting lay boxes in all vivs.

(I did catch Bastet in time, and she laid about 10 more eggs in her lay box, all of which hatched and sold at the reptile expo. They were beautiful babies.)

Thanks for the great advice!

First time pairing these two together! Keep your fingers crossed!

Well after a few weekends of putting these two together, Onyx is in shed. I'm not sure if shes gravid or not but just in case, I put her lay bin in her tub, and shes' been soaking in it all weekend.
When I picked her up to do an inspection she felt very puffy and fat. She looks a little swollen too so I hope thats a good sign! I never did see any actual hookups but I put them together for the weekend and let them be so hopefully that meant they did the deed!
Anyway, enough chit chat, here are some pics of the "hopefully" gravid Onyx!

Came home from school today to find a wonderful surprise!


Onyx was in fact gravid! And I had no idea! She wasn't in shed last night when I checked her, or at least I couldn't tell, and she ate last week. Go figure!

I feel bad because I didn't have her lay bin in there for her because I didn't think she was gravid, so she had no place to put them, but other than being a bit dry, they look healthy!

17 good ones!

Those eggs will plump up once they're in some humid moss. Good luck with these eggs! They look big!

That's what I thought! Lol Poor girl....was looking famished. Soon as she sheds, she'll get a nice couple of fuzzies.

Congrats again, Em!