One more temperature / season question

[Mike Cavanaugh]

Ok, It was pretty clearly established on my last post about temperatures that while many do lower temps during breeding season, there are plenty that don't lower temps, and have good results.

That said, this question is for the people that don't lower temps... have you had luck breeding outside of the normal breeding season?

I have 13 females now... and just thinking about how it would probably be better to breed half the first half of the year, and breed the other half the second half of the year... You know, spread things out some to make it more manageable.

Thanks for your thoughts.

[frankykeno]

Well I'm no big experienced breeder here Mike but I've heard of lots that do breed year round. We also have one female here that we believe to be gravid and should lay in the next little while. She didn't catch on the "proper" round of breeding so we thought why not and put our male YB in with her and they immediately locked up. They didn't seem to mind that it wasn't the cooler fall months here at all.

I think in the end the snakes will let you know what's up. I'd still try to introduce the male right before a thunderstorm or any major drop in barometric pressure there. That does seem to encourage courting/breeding activity. They are either going to or not going to so try it if you want and the snakes will decide if your efforts are worth their time or not.

[Wh00h0069]

I have a few thoughts about why to breed during normal (winter months) breeding season. This is the natural season for ball pythons, and they normally go off feed during this season, and eat during non-breeding season (summer).

I noticed last season that a few females that were too small in the beginning of the breeding season produced follicles during the winter breeding season; although, they were never bred or even introduced to males. This led me to believe that this is when the females naturally produce follicles.

Females normally go off feed during winter and start eating again during summer. If I were to breed them during summer, then they may not eat after they laid since they normally do not eat during the winter season.

[West Coast Jungle]

Mike I have animals locking, ovulating and getting ready to lay as we speak. I let the animals tell me when they are ready. They have the ultimate say if they wanna breed or not

[Bill Buchman]

Mike, like Raul, I am also in So Cal and am still breeding. Our weather has been warm and does not cool off that much at night. My breeding room temps have been around 88 day and 80 night. I have found that as long as there is a difference in day/night temps -- no matter if they are on the warm side -- you will still get some action going. My seasons are going to merge somewhere about Nov. 15th.

Some of my males have quit breeding, some have slowed down, and some are still at it. In some cases, the male is courting and it appears that the GIRL is just saying, "It is too hot for any monkey business"!!!! Breeding will slow down in warmer/summer season but does not need to stop. I am expecting another 15 clutches -- plus anything else that ovulates.
GOOD LUCK!!