The goal of this article is to increase your chances of success in breeding ball pythons. I’ll present some quick and easy tips to help you on your way to success raising these amazing animals.
correct sex – Make sure your animals are the correct gender and that you do in fact have a male and a female. There are two ways to determine the sex of a ball python, one is to “exploit” and the other is to “test.” In my opinion, popping is the easier method between the two, it requires no tools and there is no danger or harm to the animal. To test a ball python, a metal probe needs to be inserted backwards, toward the tail, into the left or right side of the cloaca. Once the probe is inserted, a scale count is made to determine the sex of the animal. Males usually probe quite deeply around 8 or more subcaudal scales and females probe around 2-4 subcaudal scales. I will cover more detailed instructions on how to sex your snake in another article, if for any reason you are unsure about sexing your animals, find a qualified reptile vet in your area for help.
sexual maturity – Males and females reach sexual maturity at different ages and weights. Sexual maturity in ball pythons seems to be determined more by the weight than the age of the animal, although age definitely plays a role in sexual maturity. Females typically mature at around two to three years of age and weigh between 1,200 and 1,500 grams, some may mature a little faster or a little later, but the vast majority will mature in this age and weight range. Males mature much faster than females and typically mature between 6 months and 1 year of age, although I have had some young males breed as early as twelve weeks of age! Breeding weight for males ranges in the area of 400 grams for small ones up to 800 grams or more for larger first time breeders.
Seasonal change and temperature drop – In the wild, ball pythons are seasonal animals and typically breed between October and December in the rainy season, with egg laying season being around March and April. Baby ball pythons begin to hatch and take their first meals after the rainy season, when prey is abundant. Now in captivity, they can be bred year-round, but having some seasonal changes and temperature drop increases the chances of having maximum production. I like to start gradually lowering my temps in November by a degree or two each week until I reach my maximum temp drop of 5-7 degrees lower at night than my high temps during the day, which in the off-season are 85 at 87 degrees. In breeding season I work my way down to 80 degrees for a low night on the hotter side of the tub for three to four months and then work my way back to my low season 85-87 degree temps.
Pair them for breeding – Once you have determined that you do in fact have a male and a female and that they are at sexually mature age and weight, it is time to begin pairing these animals for breeding. I introduce my males into my female’s tubs and not the other way around because female ball pythons emit a lot of pheromones during breeding season and these pheromones are great at signaling to male ball pythons that it is time to breed. Once I introduce the male to the female I leave the pair uninterrupted for 24 hours, after which I check if they are actively reproducing, if they are I give them another 24 hours, if not I move the male to the next . tub from the female and start the process over. Once the male has copulated successfully with a female, I offer him a small meal, which is usually a small rat, and 48 hours of rest. Once he’s well rested, I repeat the process. I continue this process of pairing my males with females until the females have ovulated or it is clear they are not going to produce for the season.
Ovulation – Being able to correctly identify an ovulating female ball python is extremely helpful when breeding for maximum production. Here are a couple of quick tips to help you identify active ovulation and a woman who has already ovulated.
Identify active ovulation – A female ball python that is actively ovulating will have very noticeable swelling in the lower third of her body; it may even look like she just ate a big meal. You’ll also notice that her tail is attached to her body in an awkward “L” shape. That classic position is known as “Sucking” to veteran ball python breeders and is a great indicator that the female is in the process of ovulating.
Ovulation has occurred – If you miss active ovulation, all is not lost, and you can still tell if your female ball python has ovulated using these quick tips. First off, she just watches her over the course of a couple of days and sees where she spends most of her time. Is it on the cold end of the tub or the hot end? If she is at the hot end of the tub, chances are your female has already ovulated and she no longer needs to be mated. If you are still reaching for the cooler end of the vat and wrapping up the container, then your female most likely has not ovulated and she still needs to be mated.
Egg laying and incubation – After ovulation, your female ball python no longer needs to mate with a male and you can begin setting up the incubator and arranging for ball python hatchlings. About three weeks after ovulation, she will enter a shed cycle known to veteran breeders as “POS” which stands for “post-ovulation shed.” Going by the “POS”, you are looking at around 30-40 days until your female lays a clutch of eggs.