Well where do we begin? Life is good and reptile breeding is in full swing. More and more I have been drawn in the the computer/internet world so here is a new chapter. Welcome to my West Coast Jungle blog. Smile and relax, we dont do negative in the Jungle, the animals dont take kindly to it and I am not a big fan either.
I have started a couple of threads on a breeding behavior that I have seen in my Ball Pythons and have never seen documented. Thus an inspiration to begin blogging, to document this pattern as well as other relevant reptile breeding and owning experiences. Yes, we may talk about other things in life as well but lets get back to our intial topic for now.
I have always offered my ball pythons fairly large water bowls in there enclosures for several reasons. Being in Southern Cali, it is extremely dry and humidity control is always an ongoing effort. My vet also told me it is always good to soak reptiles occasionally for proper hydration so the big bowl gives them the opportunity to soak if they should feel the need. Another thing I like to do is keep my enclosures a little crowded with hides and waterbowl, I find some Ball pythons are very insecure in open spaces and a secure BP is a happy BP who eats, grows, thrives and breeds the way I like it. Many snakes will soak when approaching a shed too, so there you go.
During the 2007 and 2008 breeding seasons I began noticing all my building and glowing females would soak on and off for weeks. Then as I caught some ovulations(I have missed many) it occured to me that the soaking was leading up to the ovulation. I began to assume that it had to do with hydration for the developing follicles/eggs, it is also possible it is for cooling as well. All the girls that soaked had a high hatchrate in the 90% and the one girl who didn't soak much, because she was too big for the bowl, laid 6 slugs and 3 eggs. This was a 3500 gram female that I was expecting double figures from. I made a good sized egg box, LOL, and it only has 3 eggs in it. Smallest clutch from the biggest girl, go figure.
I have started a couple of threads on a breeding behavior that I have seen in my Ball Pythons and have never seen documented. Thus an inspiration to begin blogging, to document this pattern as well as other relevant reptile breeding and owning experiences. Yes, we may talk about other things in life as well but lets get back to our intial topic for now.
I have always offered my ball pythons fairly large water bowls in there enclosures for several reasons. Being in Southern Cali, it is extremely dry and humidity control is always an ongoing effort. My vet also told me it is always good to soak reptiles occasionally for proper hydration so the big bowl gives them the opportunity to soak if they should feel the need. Another thing I like to do is keep my enclosures a little crowded with hides and waterbowl, I find some Ball pythons are very insecure in open spaces and a secure BP is a happy BP who eats, grows, thrives and breeds the way I like it. Many snakes will soak when approaching a shed too, so there you go.
During the 2007 and 2008 breeding seasons I began noticing all my building and glowing females would soak on and off for weeks. Then as I caught some ovulations(I have missed many) it occured to me that the soaking was leading up to the ovulation. I began to assume that it had to do with hydration for the developing follicles/eggs, it is also possible it is for cooling as well. All the girls that soaked had a high hatchrate in the 90% and the one girl who didn't soak much, because she was too big for the bowl, laid 6 slugs and 3 eggs. This was a 3500 gram female that I was expecting double figures from. I made a good sized egg box, LOL, and it only has 3 eggs in it. Smallest clutch from the biggest girl, go figure.
Now this is far from definitive scientific proof but it has encouraged me to document the behavior and see what gives. I will be breeding and blogging from time to time and have updates of these breeding and other projects and plants we have blooming. My next mission is to figure out how to post pics on the blog so we can see what the hell it is I'm talking about.
Pics to come(I hope).
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