Curious Behavior...

[Crawly's Mom]

Hey guys! So I had a question or two about the breeding process. Bonnie and Clyde locked once on 10/13, when I put them back together this past week they had zero interest in one another. When I walked by Bonnie's tub last night I noticed she was coiled around the water bowl. I know people have mentioned females hugging their water bowl when they begin to grow folicles. My question is... how long does that typically take? Is it impossible for Bonnie's behavior to indicate that this early on? I mean the 13th was only two weeks ago... how long does it take to begin growing folicles and is it possible for snakes to be avid from just one lock?

[joebad976]

I would think it could be possible all depends on where her follicle development was prior to introducing the male.

Here is a good website to use for the different stages of the breeding cycle.

http://www.ballpython.ca/gallery/breeding.html

[Crawly's Mom]

I have that site, that is why I was curious. Cause it mentions the mothers lying around their water bowl there too, but it doesn't give any kind of time frame. How long is it between when a pair lock and when the mother begins producing folicles?

[snakesRkewl]

Months is your answer, especially if she hasn't grown follicles yet.
My females wrap water bowls several months before ovulating, keep pairing it's really early in the process.
Probably 50% or more of the pairings you do will result in nothing happening, that's just how it goes.
They will lock up as the season progresses and the more they do the better for you, but don't be alarmed because after 2 weeks they don't seem interested in each other.

Feed her well this time of year, I'm offering my females 2 times a week and some are eating 2 small rats each time offered.

[Crawly's Mom]

Okay! I will keep pairing them. They are set to eat tomorrow and repair again on Monday. Clyde is deep in shed, so I wasn't sure if that might effect his want to get up and go. He remained pretty much curled up the entire time, there was one night when they were close to one another, but I didn't see a lock, so I cannot be sure. I will just keep with the schedule I had and try not to look too deep into her bowl hugging behavior lol.

Is there any site that has a more accurate time line? I have seen a lot that describe things to look for and behaviors, but not anything that says how long before things begin to happen. Will I just not know until she ovulates and grows fat as a balloon?

[joebad976]

Like Snakes mentioned it could take months. I breed my females from Nov-April last year and they laid clutches from June-August. Keep the pairings going the more locks the better as it is still early.

You may also want to look for videos on youtube on How to palpate so you can check for follicle development throughout the season. There are some good videos out there.

Unfortunately, I have not mastered it yet so I would be no help.