Am I cruel for doing this???

[Muze]

When this copperhead study first came out I swear I read that the looser males didn't breed until the next year but all I'm finding now is "suppression of sexual behavior" for 7 days and increased stress hormones for an hour:

http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=3079119

At any rate, I'd worry about letting a male combat that he might loose and the impact on the male ego might affect his breeding.

Actually, in BPs, the loser will be just as likely to breed after combat as the winner would be. I put four males in accidentally the other day (in 2 different tubs, of course. Thought two were females) & the losers went straight into (properly sexed)females' tubs & locked up that same night.