![]() If a female is ready to mate she will allow him to approach and touch her with his spurs. After four weeks the male can be placed in the female’s enclosure. Prior to introduction both Ball Pythons should habituate to cooler temperatures for three to four weeks. He should be older than 18 months and does not need to weigh much more than 700 grams. Males should be healthy and sexually mature. Choosing A MaleĬhoosing a male to breed is generally easier than choosing a female. This is one of the reasons it is important she must be at a good weight before breeding. Receptive females will have at least one follicle that has a diameter of 10 millimeters.įeeding frequency and food size should also be gradually decreased.įemales can lose up to 28% of their body mass over the course of gestation and egg-laying. Follicles are reproductive structures that eventually form eggs once fertilized.įollicle size is key to reproductive success. Lower the temperature in small increments over the span of three weeks to reduce the stress on your snake.Ĭooling a female python’s enclosures before pairing stimulates the growth of follicles. Daytime temperatures should remain stable at high-80☏s. In the last week of October lower the night-time temperature of their enclosure to the mid-70☏s. To start the breeding process you should mimic the cycle of the pythons’ natural habitat. Some beginners breed morphs together to get hatchlings with a “grab bag” of traits. If you are breeding for a specific morph then you will need to pick parents that exhibit strong traits.īreeding for morphs requires knowledge of genetic dominance ( e.g. He does not need to weigh much more than 700 grams and will normally be smaller than a female. Breeding a small or underweight snake often results in fewer eggs, more egg casualties and harm to the mother. Egg development in ball pythons is directly correlated with fat reserves. A good rule of thumb is to wait until your female is at least 1,500 grams before attempting to breed her. Generally larger Ball Pythons produce healthier eggs and are less likely to suffer health effects from breeding. Once sexually mature both sexes can successfully reproduce for most of their lives.įor breeding you will want a healthy female with no chronic problems and a good feeding response. Males mature faster and mature in 16 to 18 months. When Are Ball Pythons Ready To Mate? Females should be at least 1,500 grams before attempting to breed.įemales reach sexual maturity in 27 to 31 months. Example Breeding Timeline Activity Day # Reduce Tank Temperature 0 Introduce Male 21 Successful Lock 22 Developing Behaviors 100 Ovulation 120 Pre Lay Shed 134 Clutch Laid 164 Incubation 164 Hatching 219 Hatchlings’ First Shed 226 How To Breed Ball Pythons 1. Some breeders choose to cut open unpipped eggs. After one hatchling emerges the rest usually follow within a few hours.Īny eggs that have not pipped after 24 hours may need assistance or be nonviable. Hatchlings use a specialized egg tooth to poke out ( i.e. After 52-60 days of incubation the eggs will begin to hatch. This allows a breeder to carefully monitor the health of each egg. It can take two or three hours for all of the eggs to be laid.Īfter laying the eggs can be removed and placed in an incubator. However clutch sizes in ball pythons can range from one to twelve eggs. ![]() Her behavior will become restless and irritable so it is best to leave her alone during this period.Ĭlutches of six eggs is most common. This is a common behavior that is apparent up to 48 hours before eggs appear. She will remain curled with her tail hidden under her body. Prior to laying, a female python will move to a warm spot in her enclosure. ![]() After two to three weeks of ovulation she will shed her skin. If a lock is successful then females will ovulate and begin to develop eggs. For this reason, snakes can be mated several times in one season. Not all pairings result in a successful lock. Breeding juveniles or underweight snakes can be very harmful. ![]() Mating and egg development require a great deal of energy from both parents. It is important that only healthy adults are paired together. For this reason the ball python breeding season is from early November to mid March. However they still follow this behavioral pattern. Pet Ball Pythons obviously do not experience a rainy or dry season. Females then lay their eggs at the end of the following dry season. In Africa Ball Pythons breed during the end of the shorter rainy season (i.e.
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