Tips for Buying Ball Pythons
Characteristics of Ball Pythons
How to Set Up Your Snake Terrarium
How to Handle a Ball Python
How to Avoid a Python Strike
More on How to Avoid a Python Strike
How to Keep Your Ball Python Healthy
How to Prevent Mouth Rot in Ball Pythons
How to Keep Morph Ball Pythons
How to Determine the Sex of a Ball Python
How to Breed Pythons
How to Feed a Python
Tips for Raising Pythons
Summary: Learn how to breed pythons in this free video on pet snake care.
Nichole Bragg is the reptile expert at the Pet Kingdom in Cottonwood, Arizona. Call them at 928-639-4283.read more
" On behalf of Expert Village I'm Nicole and I'm here to tell you about ball pythons. Breeding ball pythons are somewhat difficult it's a long process they have to be at least, the females have to be at least 3 years of age to be able to carry fertile eggs. They are egg layers so the males as for as the males go you want a male that is over 3 years old, preferable. They can breed earlier than this but its males over 3 tend to produce more fertile eggs than males under 3 years old. Now your female needs to be at least 30" long they do not grow according to age they grow according to how much they eat. So if your female is not at least 30" long I would not try to reproduce. It is a very long process what you need to do if you are trying to reproduce is you need to simulate the seasons. If the snakes are kept at the same temperature all year long they are capable of laying eggs but very unlikely they would be fertile. If you simulate the seasons during the winter months just lower the temperatures do not give them the light in the evening time unless the temperature drops below 75 and only give them supplemental basking for a few hours out of the day during the months. When the seasons start warming up again go ahead and increase the temperatures to the normal summer of spring temperatures and at this point the snakes will become more active and this is where the breeding should occur. I would leave the snakes together for a good three weeks and then after this point you can remove the male and faithfully bet that they bred. This is something that is more likely to see they will often will do it when there is nobody around. And the female should lay her eggs 30-60 days after she's bred. Egg lying usually occurs around April after the eggs are laid the female will lay on them for probably another 40-50 days. Depending on the snake, depending on the size of the clutch and the egg should hatch after 30-60 days. It really depends on the snake; it also is a good idea if you are trying if you want to have a baby pythons. After the eggs are laid you can make an incubator out of vermiculite like a small trash can would work for holding the vermiculite and the eggs. Just keep them moist lightly misted and keep it incubated at 90 degrees for 30-60 days and they should hatch. One way to tell if your eggs are fertile is the candle light method that is where you pick up the eggs and you hold it against the candle light. If you can see through the egg and it's a yellow color it's likely not fertilized. If the egg has a pink finish to it or red at all it likely is fertilized, females usually lay about 6-11 eggs per clutch. About 75% of those usually hatch."
eHow Article: How to Breed Pythons
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Comments
bpguy said
on 8/2/2008 This lady must have no experience in breeding, females need to be 1500 grams, girth is more important than length, under weight females can become egg bound and it will kill both the snake and the eggs. Males can reproduce very young, around 1 year and I have known breeders that have bred males as young as 8 months...
wingedwolfpsion said
on 8/2/2008 The length of the snake has little to do with it--breeding size is determined by weight in females, with the acceptable minimum weight being 1500 grams. Males should weigh at least 500 grams and can breed successfully and WELL at 1 year of age, though they should be restricted from breeding multiple females at age 1.
The coldest you want ball pythons to get when cycling is 80F on their basking spot, and only at night. Raise temperatures to normal levels during the day! Ball pythons live near the equator. Day length changes are used exclusively by some breeders, with no cooling at all. Ball pythons subjected to cool temperatures can develop respiratory infections easily, and cycling snakes should be watched for this.
Ball python eggs hatch in 55 to 65 days. Incubation is at 87 to 90F, never hotter, never cooler, and humidity should be around 100%--never MIST the eggs. Direct contact with water is dangerous and often kills eggs. Vermiculite must be moistened 50/50 by weight with water, no more than this. Too much moisture kills. Eggs left with females have a lower hatch rate, as it is difficult to keep humidity levels high in the cage. It's not recommended, as brooding females will not eat. A HovaBator (still air model) or other still air incubator is infinitely preferable to using a garbage can, though more complex homemade incubators exist.
ballpythonlover said
on 8/2/2008 My yearling males produced pretty darn well this year. I also keep my snakes the same temps even during breeding, I don't manipulate the environment, and every single female I bred this year became gravid and laid fertile clutches.
Three weeks? My males are rotated in with the females until ovulation is observed - some took pretty quickly, some were mated for four to five months. Three days with the female, four days out.
Nicole, have you ever hatched eggs in a trash can? Are you serious? Please - do not hold your eggs up to a candle. Candling is using a flashlight, not a candle. Gestation is dependent upon the temp, but generally 52-60 days before they hatch.
jay36 said
on 8/2/2008 On behalf of Pet Kingdom Cottonwood these vides, nor their scripts were ever reviewed by the owner of the store. Sorry for any misleading info and be relieved that Nicole is no longer employed with this company.
sugarmagnolia02 said
on 8/2/2008 Look at her stumble through this one! "One way to tell if your eggs are fertile is the candle light method that is where you pick up the eggs and you hold it against the candle light." Just roast your eggs over a candle to see if they are good! Real good advice.... Nice Nicole... You're really giving The Pet Kingdom a bad name.