Breeding at Living Gems Reptiles is going well. Two months ago we visited the Hills-Alexandrite pairing, so this month we’ll visit the Vlad-Topaz pairing.
When we last left our happy couple in late February, they had just been separated for feeding after some nice courting from Vlad. Both snakes fed and weighed in fine.
March
After reintroductions, Topaz immediately started leaving fresh urate trails all around the viv. Vlad was on top of her in mid-March in a shared water bowl, though it was unclear if any breeding took place. Topaz shed in late March. The day after, Vlad was again all over her behind the water bowl. Two days later, they again shared the water bowl.
At the end of the month a few days later, they were separated for feeding. Again, both snakes fed and weighed in fine.
April
April was an interesting reintroduction. You know how a boa occasionally does “the shudder” when touched if the snake does not to be bothered? Topaz did that to Vlad when he checked her out after his absence. The next day, however, they were locked together in the viv center, for another clear tail wrap.
When I changed the water the next day, I also found a sperm plug in the bowl.
They separated, and ignored each other for the next two weeks. Just when I was starting to wonder if they were done, Vlad was again on top of Topaz in the viv corner, right around mid-month.
Just after this he started to head into shed, ending all activity. Topaz, however, was looking rather pump (a friend described her as looking like she’d eaten two rats).
A week later, I was met with this promising sight:
And, again, the next day:
At the end of the month she refused food, something she has done only twice in her life before.
May
At the end of the first week, Topaz shed. The following morning, she was off the heat for the first time in ten days. That evening though, she was right back on it.
The next night I offered her food again, to see if she had passed because of shed (both of her refusals before). She refused again. So, determined to slip a bit of food into her, I offered a live mouse, carefully watching the whole while. Silly little rodent: after a light prod, it ran right in front of her (she ignored it), jumped down in her coils (she ignored it), ran by her face again (she still ignored it), ran around inside her coils a few times (she *still* ignored it)…and then decided to go say hello by sticking its nose directly into hers. This, apparently, was too much for any snake to bear. Topaz got her snack.
Since then, she has been resolutely parked on the heat, looking much like this throughout the month:
Good signs, as they say.
Thank you for reading,
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