Breeding question from beginner

[rynwilliams]

I have been keeping chondros for about a year and next year i am going to attempt to breed them, i have a female that will be around 3 years of age and a male that will be around 2 1/2. Obviously i understand if either snake comes down with any illness any time close to breeding i will need to pospone till the following year. The real question i am asking is what (in simple terms) are the stemps needed to start the breeding off as i have read various books and articles on the net but am a little confused with the ovulating then fertilisation ETC.
From what i understand this is what i need to do, please add or ammend where necessary.
1) Lower the temp at night to about low 70F around october time, is this when i shoud see the female getting larger? (ovulating)
2) Do this for 6 weeks, then introduce the male to the females viv. (raise the night temps to normal now?)
3) They should begin to mate and should be left together for about 3 weeks (not sure?).
4) Remove the male and wait for the female to lay eggs (what timescale from mating to egg laying).

This is all i need to know for now i will deal with the eggs part if or when they breed.

Thanks in advance for any info
Ryan Williams

[Brandon Osborne]

1. Lower temps when you feel comfortable keeping them stable. For me it varies. Some years it has been in Oct. This year we've had above average temps up until Dec. so I just started cooling about a month ago. I did witness 2 pairs copulating durning the first week of introduction, so things are looking good. Ovulation doesn't come until later on.

2. I wait about a week into cooling before introduction of pairs. After they've locked up a few times, if the female is going through the correct motions, you'll notice a significant change in color......usually about 4-6 weeks into cooling. The female will take on a bluish color and seem to get more vivid as time goes on.

3. I pair up for about 4-7 days depending on how much, if any, action takes place, then I seperate them for about 3-4 days. They'll usually let you know when they need a break. Keep pairing and seperating until you see the female ovulate. Sometimes this can be difficult to identify, especially for your first time. Just when you think she might be ovulating, she's probably not. lol. Females developing folicles tend to look very plump, and this is where it can trick you.

4. Again, keep pairing until you see ovulation. At this time, the female will appear to have eaten a VERY large meal. Most female will cease feeding about 30 day prior to ovulation, and this is usually the time the color change will start to appear. As time goes on, and the color gets more blue, this is usually a cue that ovulation is on it's way. Another tell tale sign is the "flatening" of the head. The head of gravid females take on a rather flat and skinny look to them. The lose the bulbous look, but go back to normal after eggs have be laid, or if incubating maternally, after eggs have hatched.

There's really no set timeline from breeding to egg laying. It all depends on the condition of the animals. Time frames could be 6-12 weeks. Remember about 30 before ovulation females will stop feeding. After ovulation, the next shed will be the pre-lay shed. Expect eggs 14-21 days after the pre-lay shed.

Good luck and post the pics when you start the breeding.

Brandon Osborne