Probably NOT going to breed but....

Hi Everyone!

I have a 4-5 year old Pastel Female. Her "personality" has changed a lot these past few months and I think it's because she is ready to breed and looking for a mate.

I do have access to a couple of males from people I know but I am not sure I am ready to deal with the responsibility/expense of incubating and raising babies.

With that said, I am more interested in what happens if a female DOESN'T breed. So far, my main concern is that she hasn't eaten in over a month and is spending a lot of time in cooler spots of her enclosure. Recently, half of her belly was pressed up against the glass and I could clearly see her cloaca out and moving around.

I've tried feeling for follicles and I am not finding anything "obvious". There may be a little swelling and some slight tail suck but it's not clear to me.

Is going off feed at this point normal during the process of getting ready to breed? I've found conflicting info during my research and I am not sure if I should keep trying to feed or wait for ovulation.

Thanks in advance for any insight/advice.

Here are some pictures to help illustrate her condition. She just shed a few days ago...

https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...re2resized.jpghttps://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...re1resized.jpg
https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...re3resized.jpg
https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/sho...3&userid=91897https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/sho...3&userid=91897

Beautiful snake, but if you're "not sure you're ready for ..." the responsibility/expense of incubating and raising babies." then by all means, don't go there. Seriously, there's no shortage of BPs & you can incur vet expenses when things don't go right. If this is your pet, please think about what's best for her. She doesn't care about having kids but you will, if you're stuck with them. There are plenty of expenses to consider, plus time & upkeep.

Also, many have trouble getting the right sized live feeders for those "stubborn" snakes that won't take f/t. There's lots to consider. That she is not feeding & seeking cooler temps. is of little concern- a month of not eating is literally nothing for an adult BP, especially one with good body weight like yours.

And yes, your snake going off feed for a while is very very normal at this time. Don't worry about that.

I see you're a new member here- welcome! :D

Thank you for the warm welcome and feedback! You mentioned one of the main reasons I am leaning towards not breeding and that is the fact that there are plenty of other BPs out there. The odds of getting a "stunner" morph are pretty low and having to raise/try to sell the other, less appealing specimens, does not appeal to me.

Let's assume I am NOT going to breed for certain... What should I except from my beautiful girl? What are the odds of her laying slugs? How long should it take for this "readiness" to dissipate? And mostly, should I still offer food every so often or just wait for this "readiness" to be over with.

Thanks again