67Temp's 2023 pairings
 

2022 wasn't a great year for us so halfway through burmation we decided we were going to take a year off and just enjoy our animals. We had brumated planned pairs together but they are now separated. We got a surprise clutch of 15 from a first time mom. Pairing should be super masque diffused honey Miami het cinder x masque honey Miami het diffused ph cinder. I'm hoping to hold back a super masque diffused caramel shatter Miami. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...a2b4f860ef.jpg

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Interesting. Do you always brumate planned pairs together? I've heard people doing that with some Old World Rats but I've never heard it discussed in corn snakes.
Terri

This was my first year trying it with corns. You just need to account for the extra water consumption. I know some others that do it or will co-brumate 3-4 females. I wouldn't do it with kings. My bairds, black house, natrix and japanese rats are co-habbed year round even in brumation.

Do you co-brumate pairs with the assumption that breeding commonly takes place during this time? I know this is the thought when breeders co-brumate things like Rhyno rat snakes.
What is the purpose of brumating females together? Space considerations? I know Crotalus and Thamnophis are commonly found in hibernaculums together. Do we find that in wild corns as well?
I love hearing about about other keepers' husbandry methods. There is always a lot to learn.
Terri

For me I don't typically play who's the daddy. I had pairs figured out early last year. If a pair doesn't go then they don't go. I mostly did co-brumation to save space and make it easier to do maintenance on them while they were down. I wasn't fully expecting them to breed but the sire is very experienced. With virgin females I find sometimes they will cycle or partly cycle just as they are going into brumation. I know some carpet pythons will breed while in brumation.

Interesting. That's a lovely girl with your unexpected eggs. I hope you get that combo holdback you are hoping to hit.

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She's lovely! I can't wait to see her offspring.

Congrats!

-Tonya

Thank you Caryl and SnakeCreations!

So... a bunch of my girls didn't want to cooperate. I'm at just over 100 eggs for this "year off". Some laid full clutches, while others were mostly slugs but had 3-7 viable looking eggs. One of the females hasn't been near a male in over 2 years.

How can breeders ever be truly sure of what a pairing will deliver with snakes who have previously been bred? Seems like the females are always ready for a rainy day.

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Just from what I've seen newer sperm is more potent than older retained sperm. I also try to plan my pairings accordingly so that it's easy to identify who the sire is. Example: I have a snow super tessera het stripe. She was previously paired with an amel het anery motley. Those babies will be amels and snows. If she throws anerys and snows there is a different sire.

Granted there is still the chance of a dual sired clutch. You have to wonder if so many hets that don't prove out are just retained sperm.

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