Okay... so is THIS a good lock??

[icygirl]

Fyi, the lovebirds are still together, but seem to be done locking for the time being... I'll leave him there until tonight/tomorrow, just in case he has another burst of energy.

I read somewhere (Markus Jayne's site?) to look for about 5-6 good locks, before assuming the female is gravid... is that a common rule-of-thumb, and/or does it often happen with the first connection? I also just remembered they were introduced in early September, for about 24 hours before I decided to wait a few more weeks. Not sure if they locked during that meeting, but should I change their official "start date" to that day? Sorry about all the questions, I'm just a nervous newbie.

From what I understand, unlike humans, female BP's will ovulate (release eggs from the ovaries) only once for the entire breeding season. She will store sperm from mating in the weeks leading up to ovulation, then at the time of ovulation, she will release the eggs (follicles) from her ovaries where they meet the waiting sperm and get fertilized. I believe "gravid" implies that the female has ovulated.

So, they CAN become gravid from one lock. But as I said, it doesn't happen right when they are mating. It happens later, when the female ovulates and the eggs are fertilized. However, you want to pair them up often in hopes that she will store up lots of sperm and fertilize lots of eggs. I'm assuming the 5-6 locks is a rule of thumb if you are trying to ENSURE that a female is gravid.

[icygirl]

And by the way, Lolo, you and I are in almost the exact same situation with our BP breeding.

[Lolo76]

And by the way, Lolo, you and I are in almost the exact same situation with our BP breeding.

Cool! When did you start introducing yours? It would be neat to have clutches around the same time... probably among the first of the season, since it seems most wait until late fall.

Oh, and thanks for the "simplistic" explanation of the ovulation process - that really helped. Next question, what determines when they ovulate? I didn't provide a cooling period, and never use artificial lighting... add that to our (Bay Area's) constantly cool weather, and you basically get one season all year. So will she know when it's time, and/or should I warm things up at some point?

[rabernet]

It can still be months away from her ovulating and laying eggs. You really don't have to put them together more than once every few weeks. I'm even scaling back to once a month this season, because I feel any more than that isn't increasing any "odds" of the female becoming gravid (not pregnant).

My first season I started pairing in October, with multiple locks early on and up to ovulation and I didn't have eggs until May.

[icygirl]

You really don't have to put them together more than once every few weeks.

I could've sworn I remembered you saying something like that!!

Then why does everyone in this thread give periods of 2-7 days that you give them before re-introducing them? I have been reading so many opinions on this that I honestly don't know what to think anymore What made you come to your conclusion about every few weeks, Robin, and why do others say differently? Not trying to put you on the spot here, just curious and very confused.

[cinderbird]

These pics might help you.

(I took all of these images, but the animals actually belong to Adam at 8ballpythons, they were taken during one of the shoots for Keeping Ball Pythons). Sorry for the massive water marks -- the red dot is the berry in my logo, not anything on the snakes.

The blood trails are apparently normal and are just what excited boys do apparently.

This is courting behavior:


This is a lock:


and this is REALLY a lock:

[icygirl]

Cinderbird - those are some awesome pictures - thanks so much for sharing!

Can you point out which snakes are male and female in the first and second pics?

[Lolo76]

These pics might help you.

(I took all of these images, but the animals actually belong to Adam at 8ballpythons, they were taken during one of the shoots for Keeping Ball Pythons). Sorry for the massive water marks -- the red dot is the berry in my logo, not anything on the snakes.

Great pics! The "really a lock" one is especially cool, although a little bit gross... not sure what's what exactly, LOL.

The blood trails are apparently normal and are just what excited boys do apparently.

Yep... I found those all over the tub, both times I paired them last week.

[rabernet]

I could've sworn I remembered you saying something like that!!

Then why does everyone in this thread give periods of 2-7 days that you give them before re-introducing them? I have been reading so many opinions on this that I honestly don't know what to think anymore What made you come to your conclusion about every few weeks, Robin, and why do others say differently? Not trying to put you on the spot here, just curious and very confused.

More experienced breeders like Adam and Justin have shared with me that they also don't believe that more often is necessarily "productive" or increases your odds. In fact, if you get the chance, talk to those who have been doing this for years and years - most will say that once a month is probably more than sufficient.

As for everyone in that thread that you linked - no disrespect to any of them, but I don't know how long any of them have been breeding (not that I have been doing so long myself) - but my point is that the folks I've talked to who have been doing this for quite some time now, all seem to hold the same philosophy that anything more than once a month isn't necessarily necessary.

However, for someone new to breeding and until you start to learn your snakes' behaviors and subtle changes during breeding, then a 3 day on, 4 day off strategy won't hurt. Heck, that's what I did my first season.

[snakesRkewl]

I'm assuming the 5-6 locks is a rule of thumb if you are trying to ENSURE that a female is gravid.

I wish this was a sure thing, lol.
last year when my yellow belly male hooked up solid locks 20 or more times with a 3500 gram female, and she never did become gravid
I did get yellow belly babies, but not from her, she just used my tub space and laughed at me behind my back