Breeding question

[pythonmdk]

My adult female kenyan is gravid at the moment. I expect her to drop anytime within the next few weeks, she is looking huge. Lately she has been haning out in the humditiy chamber alot. She isn't getting ready to shed, she shed a little over 2 weeks ago. This is the first time I have breed her and was wondering if this may be a sign shes close. She still eats and actually ate 2 pinky rats on the weekend, she was one fuzzies but because she's gravid I decided to go with smaller guys to make it easier on her, she all filled up with babies! Anyways if anyone knows if this is a sign she gunna drop please let me know, either way I will let you guys know what the date on the cake is.
~John

[Stockwell]

Hi John. This is a strange time of year for Kenyans to be gravid, but it is possible depending on when they were cooled and introduced.
Can you post a pic?
Most mate after a cool down period, which gerally occurs in winter for most breeders. April to June breedings bring fall babies for the majority of Kenyan breeders, but babies have been recorded all months .
Assuming she is gravid, she should be sticking to a hot spot of 92F, and that is one tell tale sign.. It's important for females to have a spot this hot. They will sit there for months, hardly moving. Female Kenyans will eat throughout their pregnancy. Small meals and dead food is a good idea to prevent here needing to constrict.

The biggest sign that delivery is approaching is that females will move off the hot spot and start to move around a bit. This usually occurs a few days to a couple weeks before the big event.
Remove the water bowl.. Babies are sometimes deposited into bowls, where they drown, which can kinda wreck your day. Female kenyans will generally circle the cage while delivering, waving their tails while pumping them out in every corner.
All the best in you Erycine endeavours.

[pythonmdk]

I never cooled them but out of interest I introduced them together in late september and the male went right for her, they mated alot october and right up in to early december. I wasn't 100% sure when she would drop but I was guessing some time around early february but who knows for sure. She has been coming out of the humidty chamber lately but is not roaming the cage, she basically sits by the heat pad which is around 90-95 where I normally see her. I have a few pics they aren't great but hopefully you get the jist. I know they normally breed in the summer but thought I would try them out in the fall, because they have never breed befor I figured it wouldn't put a strain on the female, and if it worked I would just stick to this season for the pair.
~John

[pythonmdk]

here's another, I don't know how to put more then one pic per post

[Stockwell]

So how is she doing John...
Sometimes its hard to tell but when the older ones ovulate it's often huge...

[pythonmdk]

not a thing, I guess I was wrong, probably more hopefull then anything else, I thought she was getting larger just let meself assume it was cus she was gravid. She seemed to be getting fatter downwards and not all around, Anyways she's looking just normal now, she had a big defication and that was that. I guess I will try her next year and make sure I cool them down, I don't want to try again this year because the male did go for a while off food, I want to make sure hes nice and plump for next season, He's never been the greatest feeder to start off. But lately hes been really pounding the rats back. I wasn't in a huge hurry just thought I would give it a try and because the male was so intent on breeding when I introduced them, he even went off food for several months, I thought that it might have took. Anyways when do you normally start cooling them off and for how long? Is it similar to BP cooling, normal temps during the day and then cool side temps at night?

[Golden_Lotus]

I friend of mine who breed them said that no cooling is necessary. I read in other sources that you can cooled them at 55F. I am trying my first breeding experience this years and I put them in the cave a week ago. They are suppose to breed better in april-june.

[Stockwell]

John they generally breed in the late Spring following a winter regimen of cool nights down into the 70's, but back up into the 80's during the day.
I do not brumate Kenyans, and I don't recommend parking them at 55 all winter. That can make them sick or kill them... They're from Africa remember, 3 months of 55F both day and night would not be normal. You can do that with Johnii and Russians but I certainly wouldn't try it with colubrinus.
When they ovulate its often hard to miss.
Here's my big old 35 inch Kenyan ovulating
http://www.ssnakess.com/photopost/data/500/18011590Kenyanovulating02-med.jpg

[pythonmdk]

hey thanks for the info, I will give her till next year and try cooling her off, I didn't think I should burmate her, because I don't think it gets that cold in africa but and figured that . Anyways I'm just gunna let her keep on growing and hopefully next year she'll be around 3 feet and have a nice big litter. Anyways thanks for the help and good luck with your breeding this year, to both of you guys lotus and stockwell.

~John