Hello,
First time breeder here. Just introduced my house snake pair and looking for some suggestions. They’re supposed to be some of the easiest snakes to breed, but not for me apparently, lol. I introduced the male to the female’s enclosure and he spent a bit of time exploring and is now just curled up in the corner ignoring her, lol. She was twitching a bit but he seems rather uninterested. Should I separate and try again another day?
@saleengrinch might be able to help.
Are you positive that you have a sexed pair? Could you add a picture of their tails? Can you also outline how you’re keeping them (enclosure size, temperature gradient, humidity, etc)?
Yes, they are a sexed pair. The male is about 3 and the female is 5. Sorry, I don’t have any pictures of their tails. They’ve been kept in 20 long terrariums with an ambient temp in the low 70s and an undertank hot spot on one side. Hides on the cool and warm sides with a humid hide as well. Average humidity around 40-45%.
How hot is the hot spot? Do you have lots of cover in the tank? Enough where the snake could go from one side to the other without being seen?
Yes, and about 90. I removed some of the cover in the female’s cage when I introduced them. Should I replace it?
How much time have you actually gave them? Are you constantly checking on them?
It’s been maybe an hour or so. And yeah, I’ve been checking on them. I need to leave for a couple of hours this evening- should I separate them? I won’t have any way of knowing if they copulated while I’m gone.
I just pair them for a couple of days. And I check them maybe once a day if that. House snakes as long as sexually mature and a true pair will almost always breed.
I don’t think keeping them together for a couple days will be harmful. I’d recommend keeping them together for 1-2 days and then peeking in (very quickly through the glass, not opening the top) and then seeing if they lock.
Edit: I just noticed the same was posted above, oops.
Thanks to you both! I will leave them be for a couple of days and hopefully they’ll lock up. I’ll keep you posted!
No problem! You said your female is 5 keep in mind if she was heavily breed when she was younger she may not lay. House snakes only produce a certain amount of follicles that can be fertilized in there lifetime.
I’m glad to help. Hopefully it works out well and you get a lock and eggs.
She hasn’t been bred before this.
I have looking forward to a topic about this! I am definitely looking into these guys!
Just an update for you all who were following. I have not seen them lock up. It seems that the first night they were in the same hide together. The rest of the time they have been spending in separate hides (I’ve peeked a couple of times when taking care of other snakes).
I’m going to leave them together again tonight and separate them in the morning. I do wish I had seen a lock, as I’ll have no real way of knowing whether to put them back together or not. I didn’t notice any breeding behavior though.
Separated them this morning. Did not seem them lock in the 3 days they were together. Do you recommend trying them again in a couple of weeks or waiting to see if the female is gravid first?
This 
