Quote Originally Posted by Adam_Wysocki
ROCK ON Brother! The ability to successfully and reliably palpate female ball pythons is the single most beneficial skill a breeder can (and in my opinion must) develop in order to breed with maximum efficiency. Fully developed follicles are extremely easy to feel ... they are like extra large marbles inside of your female ... and an indicator that ovulation is right around the corner.

Smaller peas sized follicles let you know that your female is receptive to the males breedings and ready to eventually lay eggs, but needs more time with the male to get r done.

Tracking the development of the follicles over the course of your breeding season helps you keep track of who is going to go, who needs some extra helps, and when you can rest your males to avoid burning them out.

For the average hobbyist breeder, it's not as important ... for small collections and people just breeding for fun, it's exciting to just be surprised by finding a clutch of eggs one day ... but for people breeding as an investment, it makes the difference between skillfully being "in tune" with your animals and just "praying" that you'll "get lucky".

Palpate, palpate, palpate!!!

-adam
And once you get good at it you can tell if there are any slugs! I did that last year..