barometric pressure

[Scales Zoo]

People cycle heat, light, and rain replicating mistings - but how many people ever mess with barometric pressure.

For 3 years, we and other people we talk to, like Big Dan, have been talking about rainstorms and snowstorms. If you are expecting babies or eggs and it snows, go check the snake cages.

I also remember the late Tom Huff and his story of driving the jamaican boas to the drive in theater. Other people talk of playing loud rock or heavy metal, to get their snakes in the mood.

This spring, we took our adult blackheads to Cypress Hills for an educational display. Very few people realized how lucky they were to see a pair of blackheads at an educational reptile display.

We had noticed from other displays at Cyrpess, that our reptiles seemed to get reproductively active. It has worked for taiwans and boas. We realized, it might be the trip up to the highest point around here. The pressure drops quite drastically up there.

Many people had said I needed 2 males (blackheads) to get them to want to copulate. Before our attempted breeding, our male was out on breeding loan, as a second male, and no breeding was seen, no eggs laid. Other people, including Dave Barker, told me that they only ever used 1 male blackhead, and that I should give it a shot based on the females size. The female blackhead was 7.5' long and quite thick, so we figured we'd give it a shot.

Long story short, they courted a bit while there, but when we returned home, and put them intogether, they locked up for 18 hours straight. We did not follow up on this breeding and no eggs were laid. The female did fast for a month, and had us a bit excited - but she's back to pounding rats and getting all fattened up for the next attempt. Most people also say blackheads should be 5 years old to breed, so I am happy to wait - I was nervous that she'd get eggbound being only 3.5 years old at the time.

If I ever come into money, I'd like to build a sealed multi chambered breeding facility where I could control the ambient barometric pressure of various boas and pythons, replicating natural weather patterns in their area - or just playing god, and messing with it. . We've considered wiring misters up to digital barometric pressure meters, to have the rain come on during pressure drops in the area.

We plan to experiment with Cypress Hills more often.

Ryan

[BOAS_N_PYTHONS]

RYAN:

Actually my experience so far in my few litters I did notice on a heavy rain storm just before the litters happened, in which I went to the cages and gave an above normal misting on the inner part of the cage. Because the timing was within the proper time frame for the females to start with their uncomfortability movement and in the same week (due date) I went ahead and drenched the cages and within an hour or so healthy litters started.

We are still collecting data to comfirm a science from it, from our own experience. This season we will have possible 9 - 13 female boas to show if it happens through our collection.

We hope 2005 will be a great year we hope, with more data collected.

Cya...

Tony

[Jeff_Favelle]

Out here, low pressure coincides with the heavy heavy breeding season (SPRING!!), so it does it all for us. February and March are rainy months, so everything breeds. It really takes no extra effort. And I certainly ain't going to search for MORE work to do, LOL!

[Invictus]

Calgary is the opposite. We're already at 3300 feet of elevation, and the weather here is, well... unpredictable to say the least. I like the idea of a sealed breeding chamber where the pressure could be controlled, but egads.... that would be a pretty penny.

Ryan, maybe we'll meet you in Cypress Hills this year.

[Scales Zoo]

I'm glad you said something Jeff, because I've wondered to myself for a whilie if geographic location, like the West Coast, gives some people an advantage because of low pressure systems. Lots of successful snake breeders on the west coast - it could just be a coincidence - but it is food for thought none the less.

Ryan

[Jeff_Favelle]

Perfect area to breed snakes in as far as I'm concerned. Little too wet in the winter, but the electric heat helps to dry things anyways. No extra effort needed here, so we can concentrate on other things. Makes life way easier.