What to do?

[rlditmars]

Getting frustrated and running out of ideas. I have a really nice female Lesser het Ghost that I have been trying to grow up for three years now. I picked up her and her male clutch mate which were both hatched 2014. The boy has already bred for me two seasons. I saw videos where the girl was pounding FT prey items. When I get her and get her settled in, she won't take anything but live. She gets up to almost 1000 grams and then hits the wall. So far, nothing too far out of the ordinary but my experience has been that they eventually get back to eating and then grow up to size for breeding. This girl has been my exception.

On February 27, 2016 she weighed 869 grams. She has eaten only 18 times since then, with no regularity, and now weighs a whopping 955 grams. She has refused live mice even. She does not look bad as far as her tone (pic below) and is 3 years old now. I've had some people say breed her to kick start her and others say wait. Have any of you been here and what did you do? Please share your experiences if you have any along these lines. Thanks

[Stewart_Reptiles]

I would still give her a year or two before breeding, it's not unusual for an animal to breed at 3 or 4 or even 5 years of age for the first time, but the industry tend to want to breed ASAP or at least within 2 years/3 years while it works with some animals it just does not for others, some will mature slower than others.

My guess she will likely be a smaller female however I would still feed her for a year before attempting breeding, I did years back bred a smaller older female (around 1100 grams) knowing she would probably be one of those smaller female and and it did kick start her appetite she is a great feeder now but not a huge female she is in the 1800/2000 grams range at 10 years old

What I would do with her now if you have not done so already is have her in a 12 or 15 quarts tub max with coco coir substrate, and offer food. After that play around with temperatures, take her for a car ride (you would be surprised how moving around in a snake bag for an hour can affect them).

Try different food within reason mice, rats, asf, I don't recommend anything else.

[PitOnTheProwl]

My Lemon Blast was a picky eater and in almost the same situation.
I took a chance and paired her with my Axanthic Het Albino.
Got one good egg (which sucked) but she is eating great now.
Havent bred her since mainly because I don't have any plans for her genetics at the moment.

[rlditmars]

I would still give her a year or two before breeding, it's not unusual for an animal to breed at 3 or 4 or even 5 years of age for the first time, but the industry tend to want to breed ASAP or at least within 2 years/3 years while it works with some animals it just does not for others, some will mature slower than others.

My guess she will likely be a smaller female however I would still feed her for a year before attempting breeding, I did years back bred a smaller older female (around 1100 grams) knowing she would probably be one of those smaller female and and it did kick start her appetite she is a great feeder now but not a huge female she is in the 1800/2000 grams range at 10 years old

What I would do with her now if you have not done so already is have her in a 12 or 15 quarts tub max with coco coir substrate, and offer food. After that play around with temperatures, take her for a car ride (you would be surprised how moving around in a snake bag for an hour can affect them).

Try different food within reason mice, rats, asf, I don't recommend anything else.

Thanks Deborah. This sounds worth a try. I'll give them a shot as I am running out of ideas. I've heard that some snakes will not switch back off ASFs once they've had them. Is that correct?

My Lemon Blast was a picky eater and in almost the same situation.
I took a chance and paired her with my Axanthic Het Albino.
Got one good egg (which sucked) but she is eating great now.
Havent bred her since mainly because I don't have any plans for her genetics at the moment.

Thanks Pit. Going from your experience, it sounds like my choice is to try and breed and perhaps get an egg or two, if she even goes. Or wait another year and see if I can get her to start back up. Kind of 6 of 1, half dozen of the other. Either way it doesn't bode well for chances of producing something from her this season. I'll probably give her another year and then if she still isn't cooperating, I may have to try breeding her anyways.

[BigJay]

I feel you man, I bought a Queen Bee from Renick Reptiles in June of 2015 in hopes to make some sweet combos which include some B.E.L.s. She sprouted real fast to 750 grams in the first year and then almost stopped. Then all of last year she took her sweet time to get up to 1000 grams. Now shes climbing back up at a good rate, last weigh in was 1220 grams last month. Hoping to breed her next year being 3 years old at 1600+ grams and pairing her to my enchi pastave.


She was my first multi-gene and I am very proud to have gotten her from Renick Reptiles, r.i.p. Ben

[bcr229]

I feel your pain. I have a female YB granite the same age and while she was a good eater at first, once she hit about 500-600 grams she put herself on a small rat every 5-6 week feeding schedule. She hasn't broken 1000 grams yet either.

She's healthy with good body condition, just not a big eater. I figure on throwing my pastel YB to her in the fall of 2018 if she gets over 1300 grams.

[Stewart_Reptiles]

Thanks Deborah. This sounds worth a try. I'll give them a shot as I am running out of ideas. I've heard that some snakes will not switch back off ASFs once they've had them. Is that correct?

It has not been my experience, mice to rats it can be a problem but ASF not really, and worst case scenario once you do breed her and lays egg for you, you will be able to switch her to anything you want. The best time to switch an adult female to another prey type from mice to rats or live to f/t is always after they lay.

[rlditmars]

Well I took a gamble and this girl has taken ASFs two feedings in a row. Hardly a good sample set but I'll take it for now. My hope is I can get her up to breeding size, breed her, and after she lays she will eat better and switch to a more convenient prey item.

That's the plan. Please stay tuned for the reality.

[Godzilla78]

What does ASF mean? Good info. here. I guess I have been lucky so far, as I have very little experience compared to you all, but the one snake I have had for a couple years, he grew like a monster, it was unreal how quickly he outgrew his hides!!! my others are all growing rapidly also, but I haven't had them nearly as long to tell.

[rlditmars]

What does ASF mean?

African Soft Fur Rat. They aren't always readily available so a lot of folks don't use them, and then there is trouble with once you start feeding them the snake may refuse anything else. Since nine is refusing everything anyways, I figured what do I have to lose?