New to breeding?

[reptileKIDD69899]

I have a female RTB that is 6 ft long and a male RTB that is 8 ft long and I'm very new to breeding. They're both very healthy and I'm guessing they're both ready to breed. I have them in seperate cages and have the temperatures and humidity right but I don't know when I should put them together, and for how long. I've heard that you should always introduce the male into the female's cage but her cage is smaller than his and I know that they would feel more comfortable in his cage together. Would it still be safe to put her in his cage? How long should the re-introducing last? And when they do breed, how can you tell she's pregnant? It would be great if someone could help me with this.
Thanks,
reptileKIDD

[stckinlodi]

i think the reason for putting him in her cage is she will want to breed in her own cage and he doesnt care what cage hes in cause hes a guy lol but u might want to wait for a better opinion cause ive only heard putting the male in the females cage and i dont really know about the breeding

[JuliusSqueezer]

I think she needs to grow another foot but more importantly, what does she weigh? Get her nice and plump and in the 20+ pound range. Gravid boas normally won't eat till the day of or after the little wigglers come out. A 4 month fast takes a toll and they NEED excess weight going in.

As far as which cage, it really doesn't matter usually. It has been noted that moving the male is prefered because whenever you move a snake, they explore and it ups the chances that he will make a move if he discovers her while actively roaming the cage instead of just being coiled up in his favorite corner when she comes trolling around. You can accomplish the same thing by taking him out and cleaning the cage and move stuff around and then put them both in at the same time.

	Gravid Gravid term used in biology to describe the condition of a female oviparous when carrying young internally.

[Ed_r]

Definately make sure she has enough weight on her. 6' female is kinda on the small side. You may be risking her health if she is marginally plump. If she is too thin she wont ovulate anyway, they have their own safty system.

Normally the Soon to be happy couple should be cooled during the night. Day time temps shouldn't change but there should be a night drop in temps for about 6-7 hours no lower than 75. Do this for a 2 week period then introduce the male to the females cage. You just have better chances that was as like what was said he is all ready to look for trouble, and in a new cage he's as curious as can be. In the wild their breeding season is the fall, so the temp drops stimulate breeding activity.

But Don't do this if she isn't fat enough

[reptileKIDD69899]

I just measured her again (when I first got her she was 6 ft.) and she's 7 ft 5 in. I'm positive that she's "plump" enough. When I weighed her when I first bought her she was at 25 pounds and she's gotten bigger since then. I'm not too concerned about the plump part I just wasn't sure how long I should have them together and how often.

[trinitywolf]

She is also too small for that male. Putting a small female in with a larger male can stress the female. I have done a lot of research on breeding boas (thus I don't have any personal experience with putting large males in with females), and in the end, he could end up throwing her around the cage breeding her. After all that, she won't ovulate and will just get beat up for no reason. I have not talked to ONE breeder who says it's a good idea to put a smaller female in with a larger male, and most recommend against it.

[Ed_r]

Hmm never heard that Ted. I guess I just always took it for granted that trhe males were usually smaller anyway. Since my girls are bigger than the boys.

But actually now that you mention it. I did for a bit put my big male is with a slightly smaller female he was 7.5 she was about 7, cooled her and she did nothing. But the next year i put her with a smaller male and she got empregnated, but had a miscarriage. So you may be on to something there.

[JuliusSqueezer]

It's never been an issue for me...My #1 Stud is a 5 footer lol

[reptileKIDD69899]

You think he'll still throw her around even though there is a 7 inch difference in them? If it makes any difference, he has a great disposition and is a total sweet heart.

[JuliusSqueezer]

I doubt it would matter any. While he is 7 inches longer, I'm sure she still has a significant girth advantage. If she doesn't then his obesity could cause him to be too lazy to want to breed anyway. Lean males are by far better breeders.

The biggest thing you must consider next is what to do with the babies. Please do not sell them off to a pet store. It would be far more humane to pop them all in the head with a hammer in most cases. If you plan to sell them online here in our classifieds or on other reptile sites, you will surely find better homes but shipping becomes a factor. You will need to gather shipping supplies and figure out what service to use. I can't recomend any because I hate them all and refuse to ship live animals by anyone anymore lol....or if you plan to keep them all, you better get to building cages.

[reptileKIDD69899]

Ok, thats great. She is quite a bit bigger than him in the girth. But I'd still like to know when I should introduce them, and how long I should keep them together.