Breeding experiment - questions!

[Lolo76]

At the suggestion of some corn forumers, I'm doing a "breeding experiment" with my ghost male & amel female. Both come from unknown backgrounds/genetics, so I thought it would be cool to see if they have hidden genes. Fyi, I decided not to brumate for a variety of reasons - mostly due to the difficulty I have controlling temps already, since my house is freezing cold. I just introduced them naturally (after a slight warm-up from moving into a rack), and left them alone for a few days... they spent the time curled together in the hide, but I don't know for sure if anything happened.

My first question is regarding how I introduced them, and the fact that I didn't brumate. Do you think it'll happen naturally, and how will I know when to either give up or call it a success? I guess I can just wait for signs of ovulation, and call it a wash if nothing happens by summer. But if they do reproduce, should I determine they're not het for anything if the babies are all normal... or will I have to breed another generation to know? Finally, as the parents are a ghost and amel, I can still call them possible het for ghost/amel - right? TIA for any advice, and here are some photos of the (hopefully) parents:

[RichsBallPythons]

Brumation has a higher success but not a guarantee they will mate.

It is not mandatory to brumate them but it helps. What are your temps right now for them.

I successfully bred to normals without brumation and female gave me 9 eggs.

[Lolo76]

I just moved them into a new rack, which they're sharing with ball pythons (I keep the corns on the bottom shelves, as suggested by another person who does that). I'm still fiddling around with probe placements & such, but it's around 75/85 most of the time... trying to get it higher, but I already have the thermostat at 97!

[Jsh]

I think you might be introducing them a little soon. I would take the next few month's and feed her a few extra meals and try a reintroduction in March. Your offspring from this pairing, aside from anything that might be hidden, will be normals 100% het: amel,anery and hypo.

Corn snakes tend to be less shy when it come to breeding and normally if they don't start breeding within 15-30mins they probably wont take at that time. When I introduce my male he will normally start breeding within 15 mins. They tend to be quite noisy with my female trying to make a hasty retreat with the male chasing her down, it's actually quite aggressive looking but no harm is done.

Good Luck with your pairing!

[RichsBallPythons]

Keep your cool side around 72-74 an hot side 81. When i bred corns they got a room temp is 83 and not cool side. Anything higher than that is too hot for corns.

[Blue Apple Herps]

Don't keep them in the same rack as bps. 85 is too cool for bps and much higher is too warm for corns. What are your room temps? You could probably just keep them at RT if the only option is the bp rack.

I agree, its probably too early for them to breed. Corns aren't like bps. They'll (usually) mate right away and be done in 30 minutes. None of this 24 hr lock stuff.

I'd separate them and wait and try pairing again in late March/early April. Put them in a separate tup lined with newspaper. If they're ready to mate, they'll go at it right away, and then with the newspaper you can check for "evidence". If they do mate, wait three days, pair them again, wait three more and pair them for a total of three times over a week. That will do the trick.

As for the offspring. They will all be 100% het hypo, amel, and anery. If there are any hets, then you'll be able to tell. If you get a smaller clutch, then you might want to do two years to fully rule them as not being het for a particular gene. I've had 20 clutch eggs and only get 1 homozygous animal, when the ratio should have given me 5.

Good luck! And feel free to ask here or PM me with any questions.

[Lolo76]

Thanks for all of the advice! I actually have trouble keeping my racks warm enough for the BPs, as the hot side usually lingers between 81-85... so I thought it would be okay for both species, since my pythons are used to that temperature now (it's been that way since I started keeping snakes). I'm moving in a few weeks, and will see how temps change in the new place - then I'll decide how to arrange everybody. Oh, and I'll give them some time before introducing again, as you suggested... will keep you updated.

[Lolo76]

They tend to be quite noisy with my female trying to make a hasty retreat with the male chasing her down, it's actually quite aggressive looking but no harm is done.

LOL... I can only imagine, based on how aggressively they feed (except for shy Joxer). The other day I gave Coraline a live mouse, and it was a really fiesty one - the chase was so crazy, she knocked her water bowl clear across the tub! Needless to say, the mouse lost that fight.

[Lolo76]

Don't keep them in the same rack as bps. 85 is too cool for bps and much higher is too warm for corns. What are your room temps? You could probably just keep them at RT if the only option is the bp rack.

Forgot to answer this... my current room temps are well under 70 degrees (probably 67-69), and that's a year-round thing in this city. My new place is in a much foggier part of town, but I anticipate the indoor temperatures being warmer - mostly due to the layout, and where I'll actually be housing the snakes.

[Blue Apple Herps]

Forgot to answer this... my current room temps are well under 70 degrees (probably 67-69), and that's a year-round thing in this city. My new place is in a much foggier part of town, but I anticipate the indoor temperatures being warmer - mostly due to the layout, and where I'll actually be housing the snakes.

Mine are at RT right now which is around 67-70. Doing a pseudo brumation.

So those temps would be fine for now. But if its that way year round, then you would want to have a majority of it spent at 80-82.