keeping pairs together year round

Lrptls · 02-23-05, 12:03 PM

i would really like to get into breeding reptiles, i already have the animals i want to breed-some i already have pairs for but most still need a mate. i dont want to mix species and definetly wont mix males but is it safe to keep a male and female together year round? i would really like to do that to save space, if i have to keep them seperate until mating time then i will.

heres a list of the reptiles i want to breed, if any one can tell me what i can keep together year round and what i shouldn't that would be great. it would be awesome if you could add the best sized cage for the pair. thanks alot for any help.

colombian red tail boas, ball pythons, western hognose snakes, leopard geckos, bearded dragons, maybe chinese water dragons (i think my male is too agresive though?)

gonesnakee · 02-25-05, 03:02 PM

To keep them individual is always better. Easier to fed & monitor everything & less stressfull on the speciemens. The leos & beardies probably OK in small breeding groups housed accorddingly, but I wouldn't recomend it for the snakes. Also when breeding the males are more interested when introduced in season, not much interest in something thats been available to them all year round LOL Mark

thunder · 02-25-05, 04:04 PM

snakes do better if kept separately, but leos and beardies do fine in groups. however, make sure not to put them together until all the females have a good enough weight to safely breed, because a male will breed a female that is too small, and it can be very dangerous for the female to become gravid before she is ready. as you said, dont put males together, and take care to make sure that they are all eating. with leos, it is imperitive that there be enough hides for all the animals to have their own, on both the hot side and the cold side. visual barriers are also important.

Lrptls · 03-01-05, 08:42 PM

thanks for the help, i think once i get all the animals i will have some beardies and leos together. as for the snakes i'll just get big cages with a devider so it will be easier for breeding and they can have a lot of space.