The intuitive amongst you may have detected a slight hint of disappointment in the tone of my last post about my breeding season updates so far. I have spent countless hours scouring the internet and speaking to other breeders to better educate myself on methods for the best chances of success and the whole breeding process from start to finish, as well as making sure everything was set up in place for preparation, and crucially that my snakes were healthy and ready to breed. I began pairing them up on November 1st for three days a week. For almost 2 solid months, I didn't witness a thing - absolutely no interest from either Ifrit or Monty.
I was beginning to have my concerns. Perhaps Monty had been mis-sexed and was actually a male? Perhaps she wasn't sexually mature or ready to breed, despite her age and size, or perhaps simply Ifrit wasn't "up to the job", so to speak. I was beginning to think this years breeding season may be over for me before it had even started. I continued to pair them each week regardless, just hoping that I'd at least get some sort of sign of interest from either of them, instead of them just occupying opposite ends of the vivarium. Then, on December 23rd, I go into the snake room after work to carry out my evening checks, to find... |
At first glance, I suspect they were maybe just huddled up competing for the warmest spot, or maybe Monty is a male, and they're doing the dominance dance. On closer inspection however, I notice the positioning of their tails: That, my friends, is snake sex, or a "confirmed lock", in breeder lingo. To a veteran breeder, it's nothing to get excited about - it can take many locks before the female becomes gravid with fertilised eggs - to me however, it was the best news I could have hoped for at that point, as it confirmed for definite that Monty is a female, and Ifrit is "up to the job". |
They separated a couple of hours later, so Ifrit was returned to his own vivarium, and both were fed the following evening. Coincidentally, they both went into shed at the same time a few days afterwards, so I kept them separate for the next couple of weeks off while they rid themselves of their old togs, and had another feed. I paired them back up again on the 5th of Jan, and with in a matter of hours, they were locked again.
Fast forward to this week, and once again on Monday evening I popped Ifrit in with Monty for the start of his three day cycle. Walk into the snake room Tuesday morning, and bang, they're at it again! I got myself ready for work, and left them in peace for the day. I came home from work in the evening, and they were stilllocked. And at bedtime. And the following morning. And that evening. They eventually separated at around 11PM - some 40+ hours after I had first caught them locked. Impressive. |
Of course, there are no guarantees to breeding. It could take many, many more locks for anything to happen - if at all - but these are very healthy signs at this stage, and very assuring to me that I've at least got the basics right. For now, I'll continue pairing them up each week, and keeping a close eye on Monty. Hopefully in a couple of months (or less) I'll be able to say that I've seen signs of ovulation, and that Monty is giving the tell-tale signs of being gravid.
The incubator is on standby.
The incubator is on standby.