OK, so I know that a lot of you on here are looking to breed for the first time soon so I thought I'd put together a guide to help you guys along!
1. Make sure your BPs are ready to breed!
Most people agree that the minimum weight to start breeding a female is 1500 grams. Males can sometimes be bred at 500 grams, but it's usually best to wait until they're about 750-800 grams.
2. Make sure YOU are ready to breed!
Breeding BPs is a big responsibility. You need to be sure that you have room for the new babies (There can be up to 12 per clutch). You also need to be sure your spouse/boy or girlfriend is OK with the idea. Be sure to read up on hatchling care and other aspects in more detail than is provided in this guide.
3. Make those decisions!
There are a few decisions to make when breeding. These decisions are very important and play a big role in how your babies will turn out.
1. What morphs are you going to breed?
Ball pythons come in many different colors and patterns. Make sure you choose the right ones to get the babies you want! A genetic calculator is available at
http://www.worldofballpythons.com/wizard/
2. Maternal or Incubator?
Maternal incubation is when you let the mother BP stay with her eggs and keep them warm. You can also use an incubator to do this. Both ways have their pros and cons. Read up on both and decide which way is right for you and your snakes.
3. What to do with the hatchlings?
After breeding you are going to have 3-12 more snakes. Decide what you are going to do with them (Sell them, keep them, etc) before you breed. That way you aren't struggling about what to do when you have eggs or baby snakes.
4. Get what you need!
Breeding is more than just throwing a couple of snakes in together. You're going to need to make a few purchases to make sure the little snakes are happy and healthy. You will need:
- A male and female BP (Obviously)
- A rack with at least 6 tubs
- At least 6 hatchling tubs (About the size of a shoebox each)
- Appropriate heating for the hatchlings
- Amenities for the tubs (Water bowls, hides, paper towels, etc)
- An incubator (If you are choosing artificial incubation)
- Substrate for the incubator. Most people use vermiculite or perlite with a light diffuser on top to hold the eggs in place. (A light diffuser is one of those grid-like things that you find on lamps in older office buildings)
- A 'Breeding Tub'. Some people use the male or female's cage for this. Others buy a separate enclosure for breeding. Again, this is up to you. Make sure it is heated as they will be in there for a while.
5. Lets breed!
Take your female BP and place it in the breeding tub. I usually leave her in there for a couple of hours so that she can adjust. Then, put the male in with her. Sometimes you will see them lock. Locking is when the male and females' tails are together, on top of each other. If you do see a lock, you can take the male out as soon as he's finished. You will put him back in every 2-4 days until you see signs of an ovulation.
6. Is my snake ovulating?
When your female BP ovulates, you are going to want to stop pairing her with the male. Signs of an ovulation are as follows:
- Glowing, a drastic color change when she is nearing ovulation
- Many female BPs lie on their back when they are nearing ovulation.
- Growing. Your BP will grow wider and thicker.
When your BP finally ovulates it's pretty hard to miss. She will look like she swallowed a gigantic rat. She will lay eggs in about 45 days.
7. EGGS!!!
Getting your first clutch is exciting! However there are a few steps to go through before you can celebrate.
1. Take the female away from her eggs. It may seem mean, but you need to do a couple of things before you can let her back. Most females are very protective. They will strike at you quickly if you get anywhere near their babies. I normally distract her with one hand, moving it out of they way as she strikes, and then grabbing her (Not too hard!) from behind the neck with the other. Carefully unwind her from around the eggs and put her somewhere else.
2. Check to make sure she is done laying. Feel her stomach and search for any egg-like lumps. If you find any, put her right back in the cage near the other eggs. Wait until she is done laying and then go back to step one.
3. Check for slugs! Slugs are pretty easy to distinguish. They are small, brownish hard eggs. These eggs are not fertilized and should be removed. Just take them out and throw them away.
4. Candle the eggs! In a dark room, take a flashlight and shine it into each of the eggs. If you see little blood vessels in the egg, it is a good one. If you don't, it is not a good egg. Remove it only if it is safe to do so. If it is attached in any way to other eggs, DO NOT REMOVE IT. Doing so will likely damage the eggs around it. If it is free, carefully remove it and dispose of it. Remember, eggs come in all different shapes and sizes. Just because an egg is different doesn't mean it won't produce a healthy baby.
5. Put the eggs either into your incubator or back where they were in the tank. Reintroduce the female and close the lid.
8. Feeding
Some females eat during breeding, and others don't. I usually offer food to my females while breeding. If they don't accept it, they probably won't eat during the season. Try one more time and then stop offering food. If you are doing maternal incubation, I recommend not offering food when she is with her eggs.
9. Collapsing, Pipping, Hatching!
BP eggs hatch about 56 days after they are laid. Before they hatch they will produce condensation. The eggs will then appear to collapse. This is normal, so don't worry. After that the babies will start to come out of the eggs. Some breeders 'cut' the eggs. This is when they make a small incision in the side of the egg both to help the hatchling get out and to see what is in the egg. I do not recommend cutting on your first try. If you do wish to, I recommend having someone more experienced do it for you. Otherwise you risk hurting your snakes. Do not try to help the snake out of its egg. It may take time, but they will usually do it on their own. If they appear to be having trouble, give it a couple of days and then call someone to help get them out. You can try to do it yourself, but you may risk hurting the baby snakes.
10. Baby BP!
After the snakes hatch, you should remove them from their enclosure. Wash them off with water (No soap) as they are usually covered in egg, and place them in their tubs.
Congratulations! You have successfully bred your ball python!
Please feel free to ask for help on this forum. Breeding is no small task even for an experienced owner. Just ask any question you have. Remember, the only stupid question is the one not asked.
Thanks for reading and hope this helps!
- Apple2
