Are my Ball's Mating? Really need immediate answer. Details below.

[Caper2016]

If you can check my profile, and go through to my other two threads, or even the one with 8 comments, you will be a huge help to me, for those who cant or dont have the time first heres a summary..

Im new to this.. i know everything (basics) about what to do with gravid female BPs and i have access and the $ for an incubator, and proper care / anything needed.. Here are the pictures.. if they arent actually linked then i wish to remove the male, the one on the right side with the tail on the bottom against the substrate. i put them together for a hour, went to shower, and this was happening. Its been 10 hours now. Little change. The first picture is when it first went down after my shower.. the last are now.. 10 hours later.

i had no router until a hour ago, it went bad on me, otherwise i woulda been posting long ago.



first t - 9 H:










Now:

[rlditmars]

That's a lock. You have to let them go until they separate on their own.

[Caper2016]

Dudeeeee... no.. way... are you seriously sure? It was only 50 minutes tops they were together...


i planned on eventually mating but now plans are ago i guess lol. I a, excited and shocked. Is he a normal?


hes about 2x her weight i took them to the vet before coming home with him, i took bella for the ride necause i wanted to make sure she was breeding ready and healthy to for future endevours.. so i was cleaning out and soaking to steralize a nice size tank for him, and since the vet said theyre both OK healthy i put them together for a quick shower until i cleaned the terrerium and set everything up... by the time i came out this was going on... i thought it was a long hard process not a insta-love deal



so... how long does this mating process typically last? Before they let go? And does it mean itl be 100% gravid my female after this first go?

After they let go, what do I do next? Do I leave the heat lamp on aswell as the UTH for them while theyre mating? The UTH is on his side of the cage and she is on the cooler side. Mesh top.

[MidSouthMorphs]

They live in the same enclosure?

[PitOnTheProwl]

Yep that is a lock but keep in mind she can make the choice to go or not. If the husbandry isnt spot on or she gets stressed then its just sex and no eggs.

[bcr229]

Get a second enclosure ready and separate them when they unlock. With luck she won't go.

[Caper2016]

I have it ready. But im going with tubs tomorrow. Sick of glass terreriums.

[AbsoluteApril]

Based on the other threads, it would probably be best to separate them as soon as they are done and not put them back together. She may not end up gravid, it sometimes takes multiple locks and can take months of courting/breeding for it to happen. That way you have more time to get everything set up ideally and really consider if you want to be breeding two normals together.
Good luck!

[Caper2016]

Anyways getting alot of hateful comments on my local Reptile group on facebook.. saying that breeding two normals is like adding stray cats to the population.. and to freeze the eggs... like im disappointed.

[GoingPostal]

Anyways getting alot of hateful comments on my local Reptile group on facebook.. saying that breeding two normals is like adding stray cats to the population.. and to freeze the eggs... like im disappointed.

You have taken in 3 normal ball pythons off bad situations and people who didn't want them in a matter of months, now multiply that by all the people who think they should breed their pet snake (hint, it seems to be the majority). Take a look at craiglist, reptile rescues and any pet sale place, there's absolutely no shortage of snakes like balls and common boas out there but there is a huge shortage of owners that are going to properly care for them for up to 40 years. Ball python breeding is all about the morph game, at this point there's no market to bother breeding single gene morphs, much less normals and most breeders try not to produce them at all or wholesale them to pet stores. It's simple reality. Don't produce animals you aren't willing to keep for life because you won't make money off normal babies and you will have a hard time moving them at all if you want good homes.