How to Breed Ball Pythons
Make sure they have reached maturity before breeding., Determine the sex., Provide a cooling-off period., Warm it up again., Produce male excitement., Introduce the female to the male., Leave them alone., Wait., Wait some more., Look for signs that...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Make sure they have reached maturity before breeding.
It is important that the animals you intend to breed are old enough and large enough.
A male typically needs to weigh over 700 grams and be at least one year old.
Evidence of maturity can be determined by expressing a sperm plug.
Gentle pressure on the cloaca (the vent at the back of the snake) will produce a little white, cheesy matter that will tell the male is ready.
While females as small as 1200 grams have been successfully bred, most breeders recommend that females be at least 3 years old and 1700 grams in order to breed.
The process is too demanding on smaller animals and represents a health risk. -
Step 2: Determine the sex.
It is best to be sure of the sex of the animals you intend to breed.
This can be determined by probing.
There are video tutorials available that teach the process.
This can be dangerous to the animal, so do not probe a snake without first having received proper instruction; or call in an expert.
Female snakes will probe to a depth of only 3 or 4 scales.
Males will generally probe to 7-9 scales.
It is possible to get a false positive for a female if the snake is constricting itself sufficiently to prevent the probe from achieving full penetration. , In order to become fertile, a cooling-off period is required.
The ambient air temperature at night needs to be in the mid 70's (F) low 20s (C) for a period of about a three months.
The warm spot in the cage AT NIGHT should be reduced to low to mid 80's(F) low 30s (C), during the day temperatures should return to normal temperature in the high 80's(F).
The idea is to replicate the weather conditions of winter in Central Africa.
This short cool spell whispers sweet nothings into the brains of these beautiful creatures and tells them that Spring is coming and new life needs to be created.
During the cooling off period, periodically introduce the male and the female.
Have them together for a few days, then apart for a few days.
They may try to breed at that time but it won't take.
Still, it is a good sign. , After the cool spell, the temperatures can be returned to normal.
Good temperatures for ball pythons produces perspiration on most humans. , Many male ball pythons also require some extra stimulus stimulation to put them in the mood.
The simplest way to do this is to put a number of males together.
They will start to notice each other, and raise themselves up in to a nearly vertical stance.
Somewhere there is a photograph of six or eight male ball pythons that look like they are dancing.
This process really gets them interested in connecting with the opposite sex.
Ten to twenty minutes of this activity greatly increases the males' interest in females. , After introducing them, the best thing is to leave them alone and let nature take its course.
Occasionally they may scrap a little, but actual injuries seem to be very rare.
Normally they will settle down in a few minutes and the two animals will connect. , Ball pythons can stay connected for up to two days.
It's all right to peek at them, but try not to disturb them.
They are in no hurry.
They can take a long time to complete this important step.
Anything short of a three or four hour coupling is likely to prove ineffective. , A male ball python needs about a week to recover his potency.
If you have more than one female to breed him to, give him a week or so to recover. , The sperm that the male deposits in the female can remain viable for up to 2 years. , Once you see that, no need to keep introducing them to each other. , Get the female a lay box, for example, a Rubbermaid box with damp moss.
She will lay eggs and coil around them. , Remove the female from the eggs, gently, and place them in incubation substrate inside a container (Rubbermaid box with a lid). , Set the incubator to 90 °F (32 °C), 32 C.
Check the eggs once a week to make sure they good.
At this time when you lift the lid to check eggs, they will get air so you don't have to put air holes in the incubation container. , If the female does not eat, try washing her to remove the scent of the eggs.
It is important she starts to eat again since laying takes a lot out of her. ,, Babies after hatching should be put in their own separate cages lined with damp paper towel until their first shed.
Then you can use newspaper or other substrate. , Babies start eating pinkie mice within the first week or two and should be fed every five to seven days. , -
Step 3: Provide a cooling-off period.
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Step 4: Warm it up again.
-
Step 5: Produce male excitement.
-
Step 6: Introduce the female to the male.
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Step 7: Leave them alone.
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Step 8: Wait some more.
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Step 9: Look for signs that the female is becoming gravid
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Step 10: meaning you can see the outline of the eggs inside of her.
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Step 11: Prepare the lay box.
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Step 12: Remove the eggs.
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Step 13: Ensure temperature is good.
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Step 14: Feed the female.
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Step 15: Eggs should hatch in about 55 days after laying.
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Step 16: Put the babies in their own cage.
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Step 17: Feed pinkie mice.
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Step 18: Babies should also have a water bowl and a hide just like adults.
Detailed Guide
It is important that the animals you intend to breed are old enough and large enough.
A male typically needs to weigh over 700 grams and be at least one year old.
Evidence of maturity can be determined by expressing a sperm plug.
Gentle pressure on the cloaca (the vent at the back of the snake) will produce a little white, cheesy matter that will tell the male is ready.
While females as small as 1200 grams have been successfully bred, most breeders recommend that females be at least 3 years old and 1700 grams in order to breed.
The process is too demanding on smaller animals and represents a health risk.
It is best to be sure of the sex of the animals you intend to breed.
This can be determined by probing.
There are video tutorials available that teach the process.
This can be dangerous to the animal, so do not probe a snake without first having received proper instruction; or call in an expert.
Female snakes will probe to a depth of only 3 or 4 scales.
Males will generally probe to 7-9 scales.
It is possible to get a false positive for a female if the snake is constricting itself sufficiently to prevent the probe from achieving full penetration. , In order to become fertile, a cooling-off period is required.
The ambient air temperature at night needs to be in the mid 70's (F) low 20s (C) for a period of about a three months.
The warm spot in the cage AT NIGHT should be reduced to low to mid 80's(F) low 30s (C), during the day temperatures should return to normal temperature in the high 80's(F).
The idea is to replicate the weather conditions of winter in Central Africa.
This short cool spell whispers sweet nothings into the brains of these beautiful creatures and tells them that Spring is coming and new life needs to be created.
During the cooling off period, periodically introduce the male and the female.
Have them together for a few days, then apart for a few days.
They may try to breed at that time but it won't take.
Still, it is a good sign. , After the cool spell, the temperatures can be returned to normal.
Good temperatures for ball pythons produces perspiration on most humans. , Many male ball pythons also require some extra stimulus stimulation to put them in the mood.
The simplest way to do this is to put a number of males together.
They will start to notice each other, and raise themselves up in to a nearly vertical stance.
Somewhere there is a photograph of six or eight male ball pythons that look like they are dancing.
This process really gets them interested in connecting with the opposite sex.
Ten to twenty minutes of this activity greatly increases the males' interest in females. , After introducing them, the best thing is to leave them alone and let nature take its course.
Occasionally they may scrap a little, but actual injuries seem to be very rare.
Normally they will settle down in a few minutes and the two animals will connect. , Ball pythons can stay connected for up to two days.
It's all right to peek at them, but try not to disturb them.
They are in no hurry.
They can take a long time to complete this important step.
Anything short of a three or four hour coupling is likely to prove ineffective. , A male ball python needs about a week to recover his potency.
If you have more than one female to breed him to, give him a week or so to recover. , The sperm that the male deposits in the female can remain viable for up to 2 years. , Once you see that, no need to keep introducing them to each other. , Get the female a lay box, for example, a Rubbermaid box with damp moss.
She will lay eggs and coil around them. , Remove the female from the eggs, gently, and place them in incubation substrate inside a container (Rubbermaid box with a lid). , Set the incubator to 90 °F (32 °C), 32 C.
Check the eggs once a week to make sure they good.
At this time when you lift the lid to check eggs, they will get air so you don't have to put air holes in the incubation container. , If the female does not eat, try washing her to remove the scent of the eggs.
It is important she starts to eat again since laying takes a lot out of her. ,, Babies after hatching should be put in their own separate cages lined with damp paper towel until their first shed.
Then you can use newspaper or other substrate. , Babies start eating pinkie mice within the first week or two and should be fed every five to seven days. ,
About the Author
Rebecca Alvarez
Professional writer focused on creating easy-to-follow DIY projects tutorials.
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