Right Breeding Size/Age?

[Zoe]

How old should a female IJCP be for me to consider breeding her? And how long / heavy?
What is the best way to measure the length of a less-than-cooperative snake?

Thanks
Zoe

[sSNAKESs.com]

really length and age shouldnt matter, what you should be going on is her weight... i dont know the exact weight but maybe someone else can help you out

[neil evans]

As a guide they should be 3 - 4 years old with enough weight and condition to be cooled off for around 2 month, even though it isn't always needed, and females should have sufficient fat reserves to withstand the rigours of egg production and possible brooding. This advice was copied from guidelines for breeding pythons written for a zoo, and it works for them, so it should work for you.

[Jeff_Favelle]

Excellent guidlines. But if your snake is feeding well enough, males can easily breed at 18 months (I wouldn't trust their viability though) and females can as well. They grow like weeds if given the chance. Females go at 30 months, no probs. If its not breeding size by that time, then its a crappy eater, or you are not giving it the right conditions.

[JKUROSKI]

Weight...I would say that they should be 750 and 1000 grams for male/female. The best way to measure a snake is to find a long wall with a corner. Place the snake on the wall and put it's tail tip in the corner then apply pressure to the snake a hands width at a time and kinda just roll up to the head...mark and measure. This puts as little constriction on the snake, but offers the most accuracy...be warned, they will sometimes spin around and nail your forarm. I have been only been bitten twice and each time was when I was measuring an uncooperative snake.

[Jeff_Favelle]

Ha ha, so true man!! But yeah, the wall trick is the best! It works all the time, but especially on a slick floor where they can't get any traction!!

[Zoe]

She's 50 inches :]

[Tim_Cranwill]

I find the best way to measure snakes is to:

-have someone hold the snake
-get a piece of string
-place the string at the tip of the tail
-run the string along the curves of the body
-stop at the head
-measure the string

This will give a very accurate measurement and you don't have to pin the snake down. However, I have been bitten doing this, but only because the snake is a little vampire.

[JKUROSKI]

Zoe....that's pretty short for a female, I would say there's no way she's breeding weight. How old is she...I have yearlings that are just short of that?

[Zoe]

I don't know, that's over 4 feet... I've seen adult females that are only 4.5ft. She's 2.

[Jeff_Favelle]

Yeah, I agree. I'd wait until the 2004 breeding season. But she could probably go early then; like say, January or Februrary. But I wouldn't try her this year. Cycle her and all, but don't breed her.