Max age for female ball pythons

[zerocoast]

I have an 8 year old female ball python and I was wondering, up to what age is it safe to breed a female ball python?

[dr del]

Hi,

I'm not sure there is a cut off age as such - I think it would more go by the females condition and how quickly she recovers from breeding.

Cleo was 16 or 17 when she laid my black pastel clutch in November last year.


dr del

[ChrisGant911]

I'm pretty sure 30 would be my cut off point. Given she was in tip top shape up until then lol.

[Ladybugzcrunch]

My thoughts: Animals other than primates breed until they die. Since there is no culture, there is no reason to exist beyond breeding condition. Primates, especially apes and humans, use older infertile "groups" to "teach" youngsters tricks to survive better, easier, etc. This is their purpose so they survive with the aid of younger generations even though they no longer serve reproductive purpose to the species. Fish, reptiles, and amphibians have more of a tendency to reproduce until death than mammals and birds which may survive a bit longer but not much (primates excluded of coarse). Retiring a breeder early does not necessarily benefit it and breeding a healthy animal until it dies does not necessarily harm it. There are extremes and exceptions of course.

[angllady2]

I know in one of my ball python books there is a recorded case of a 27 year old female producing a strong, viable clutch.

So, at 8 your girl is just a youngster, she's got a lot of good years left in her if you take good care of her.

Gale

[bullies&balls]

In one book from a long time ago, a zoo had a bp lay a clutch and she was over 30.

[kitedemon]

In one book from a long time ago, a zoo had a bp lay a clutch and she was over 30.

I have seen that same account and just to add a little bit of interest that female was •at least 30• as she was in captivity for 30 years at that point but arrived as an adult with undermined age. They have verified 30 years as they had her for that long but she was older than that as she arrived adult sized.

ref. Barker & Barker, Ball Pythons.

[axeman569]

Had a female lay her first clutch at 13 last year.

[mainbutter]

As long as they are healthy, they can breed in their twenties and perhaps even older. The oldest I have READ about (always wary without proof) is 24 years old, and she was not bred every year.

Keep in mind breeding season after season after season physically stresses female snakes, and the more times they have been bred in their lives, the less likely I would feel comfortable breeding a truly old snake.

[kitedemon]

Found the references although I'd never suggest an attempt at 30+ years of age it has been done I have provided 3 references the account is from the St. Lewis Zoo. I was mistaken the 40 year old produced eggs but they were not fertile.
Alex

R. Goellner of the St Lewis zoo reported on a pair of females brought to the zoo as adults in 1947 and reproducing a healthy clutch in 1979 after 32 years in captivity.

ref hatching techniques for reptile eggs at the St. Lewis Zoo.

A second female also brought in as an adult in 1961 produced fertile eggs in 1989 (20 years), and infertile clutch in 2001 (40 years)

ref. Ettling J 1990 An overview of amphibian and reptile reproduction at the St. Lewis Zoological Park.

ref. Barker and Barker Ball Pythons 2006 pp. 217