Do males ever skip seasons...? And questions about the female?

[redshepherd]

I currently only have one female and one male now, so it's been hard to tell who exactly is the issue here...

My male has been proven multiple times and has bred through fall~winter of 2019 (so, over a year ago) but seems to have never locked with my current female throughout fall/winter 2020. They just never seemed interested in each other and will just lay around next to each other. (The female weighs about 2100g and is proven according to the previous owner)

The story of the female is that her previous owner had bred her in the 2019 season and had expected a clutch from her in the summer, but she didn't lay. So he sold her to me in August 2020, still partially expecting her to lay a clutch while with me lol. She didn't either, and also never bred with my proven male...

Based on the way they both behave, it seems like neither are interested in the other.

Do males ever skip seasons since he's bred for the past 2 or 3 seasons in a row?
Or is it possible for the female to retain sperm from the previous year and already ovulated, but I missed it as usual? She shed once in September (which I thought maybe was a pre-lay shed, but wasnt) and then once in around end of November or December... LOL

In other news, I've also been pairing my blacktail cribos, and they also haven't copulated. Maybe I just have anti-breeding luck LOL.

[jmcrook]

I unfortunately don’t have any answers to your questions, but good to see you back here. Don’t be such a stranger!


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[Bogertophis]

I was thinking pretty much the same things. Maybe they just need more candlelit dinners?

Only thing that comes to my mind is about the "proven" female- how many times has she reproduced in the past & how often? Her body may simply be "done" or needing a rest? Just saying "proven" can mean almost anything? And it doesn't mean she's currently ready to breed- obviously. (I've never bred BPs, btw, but have bred other snakes.)

[redshepherd]

I was thinking pretty much the same things. Maybe they just need more candlelit dinners?

Only thing that comes to my mind is about the "proven" female- how many times has she reproduced in the past & how often? Her body may simply be "done" or needing a rest? Just saying "proven" can mean almost anything? And it doesn't mean she's currently ready to breed- obviously. (I've never bred BPs, btw, but have bred other snakes.)

Hmm given that she hasn't laid in 2020, do you think she could skip two seasons?

After checking my texts with the person who had her before, it seems that he ALSO got her from some other breeder a year prior and was told that she was bred before. But the seller I bought her from did have her at least lock up two times in fall-winter 2019 and apparently has photos to prove it. But then no eggs in 2020, and no locks with my male in fall 2020.

I unfortunately don’t have any answers to your questions, but good to see you back here. Don’t be such a stranger!


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Aw thanks!! Haha after having more questions, I come back to the bp forum... I am posting on instagram sometimes though, which is @ illusnakes

Still curious if anyone has had proven males lose interest in breeding suddenly and need some enticing or male competition to get breeding again...

Forgot to mention that both male and female are eating great every 1-2 weeks.

[Bogertophis]

Hmm given that she hasn't laid in 2020, do you think she could skip two seasons?

After checking my texts with the person who had her before, it seems that he ALSO got her from some other breeder a year prior and was told that she was bred before. But the seller I bought her from did have her at least lock up two times in fall-winter 2019 and apparently has photos to prove it. But then no eggs in 2020, and no locks with my male in fall 2020...

Sure. I think it's possible that either she's been over-bred in the past, or was never-bred, & passed along to the next buyer. I hope I'm wrong, but I'd not get my hopes up either. She just may be past her prime, or never was. Sorry...time will tell, I guess.

[Spicey]

She's probably just not that into him. (Kidding of course. Sort of. I'd tend to agree with Bogertophis that it's a fertility issue.)