My 1st breeding attempt seems to be a fail :(

[ARBallMorphs]

hey everyone,

about a month ago i started pairing my Calico Super Pastel to my Lesser Pastel and they have been locked multiple times,

both time that I have introduced the male to the female they where locked the next morning,

Last night my Lesser Pastel shed and I placed the male in her tub again and when I woke up this morning no lock, when i checked on them a couple of minutes ago (it's 14.45 here in the Netherlands now) they where just laying together the male doesn't seem interested and the female seems to be acting different too.

I am not sure how to feel right now, I guess I am a bit disappointed she is sticking to the warm side of the tub now and I know, normally this would be a good sign but that would mean her shed was a pre-lay shed and that would mean I would have missed her building, bowl rapping, the "glow before you go" part and the ovulation it self + she ate 06-27-15 and it is to my understanding that females who have ovulated do not eat anymore?

So that + the fact it all seems to be way to fast after the first pairing make me believe this was a failed attempt, any input is appericiated ofcours!

thanks,

Andrew

[BCS]

It happens... not the best advice. How old is your female? She just may be too young to conceive. Females typically reach sexual maturity at three years old but I have heard some don't until they are 6 years old.

[Dave Green]

It can take months for them to become gravid. I'm not sure I understand why you think it's a fail??

[ARBallMorphs]

It can take months for them to become gravid. I'm not sure I understand why you think it's a fail??

well I think it is a fail cause they have been locked multiple times and now they show no interest in each other anymore and it is to soon for the female to be gravid, right?

Don't get me wrong, it is only my first ever experience, when I introduced them together in beginning of June the had multiple locks in the 3 days they where together, 2 weeks later I placed the male in with her again and again they had multiple locks during that 3 day period, and now the female has had her shed and it is roughly 3 weeks after the last pairing so I thought lets place the male in again and nothing happens.

That's why I think it is a fail and I am NOT saying he, she or they failed but my first attempt at it failed. I have to say though I just looked at her and she does seem a bit "plump" (by a lack of a better word) for a snake that just shed and defecated

Tonight I'll try to feed her maybe that will give some insight as she never skipped a meal before and if she eats at least I know for sure she isn't gravid.

[Dave Green]

Sometimes they aren't going to lock. Also, I've had females lock six times and got nothing. I've also had females lock once and never again but produce good clutches months later.

[Eric Alan]

Don't get me wrong, it is only my first ever experience, when I introduced them together in beginning of June...

For a little more clarity on the time it actually takes, I started pairing all of my females that I planned on breeding this season back in November (once/month for each girl):

• One laid her eggs on 5/8/15 - Observed locks in Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, and Mar
• One laid her eggs on 6/12/15 - Observed locks in Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, and Apr
• One is due to lay her eggs next week - Observed locks in Dec, Jan, Apr, and May
• One is in pre-lay shed right now - Observed locks in Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, and May
• Two are likely not going to lay for me this year - Observed first lock in Apr, the other one first locked in June

If you're expecting results after just starting pairing last month, look at what kind of results I had back in December. I certainly didn't believe I had failed then - not by any stretch!

[ARBallMorphs]

Sometimes they aren't going to lock. Also, I've had females lock six times and got nothing. I've also had females lock once and never again but produce good clutches months later.

Ok thanks!

try them again later on and just keep my eye extra close on her

For a little more clarity on the time it actually takes, I started pairing all of my females that I planned on breeding this season back in November (once/month for each girl):

• One laid her eggs on 5/8/15 - Observed locks in Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, and Mar
• One laid her eggs on 6/12/15 - Observed locks in Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, and Apr
• One is due to lay her eggs next week - Observed locks in Dec, Jan, Apr, and May
• One is in pre-lay shed right now - Observed locks in Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, and May
• Two are likely not going to lay for me this year - Observed first lock in Apr, the other one first locked in June

If you're expecting results after just starting pairing last month, look at what kind of results I had back in December. I certainly didn't believe I had failed then - not by any stretch!

No you're not getting my point,

I am not expecting anything at the moment as in her being gravid, I did say so myself that it would be way to soon. It's just the fact they wouldn't lock now made me think she wasn't gonna go. I most certainly did not think she would be gravid or would be sitting on eggs by now

[JoshSloane]

I think you might be nicely surprised a few months from now. I have also had nice clutches in the past when I only observed one lock.

[ARBallMorphs]

Thanks, I sure hope so!

At least I got my hopes up a bit again

[Jay_Bunny]

Not a fail at all. Sometimes they just need a break from one another...

Kinda the "Not right now, honey. I have a headache" kind of thing lol. Separate, feed, and wait a week or two and try again. And sometimes one or two locks is all it takes.