Royal Pythons are very popular as pets. Much of this popularity is due to the variety of colors they can feature. There are currently at least a hundred different colors and different patterns created through genealogical selection (or artificial selection). Royal pythons are usually curious and friendly.
Steps
Method 1 of 4: Preparing for Mating
Step 1. Make sure the specimens have reached maturity before mating
It is important that the animals you want to breed are large enough and mature enough. A male should normally weigh at least 700g and be at least one year old. The male's sexual maturity can be controlled by gently pressing around the cloaca (the canal at the bottom of the abdomen); if excretion of a dense white substance - a sperm plug - is produced then the python is ready for reproduction. Even if they have successfully mated females weighing 1200g, most breeders recommend using specimens that are at least 3 years old and weighing at least 1700g. The process is too demanding for smaller females, and could be life threatening.
Step 2. Determine your gender
It is best to check the sex of the animals you want to mate. You can do this using a special probe, of a size suitable for the size of the animals. You can find video tutorials that teach you how to use it. However, remember that this process can be dangerous for the animal, so do not use a probe on a snake without first having received the appropriate instructions, and if you are unsure, consult an expert. In female snakes the probe will enter to a depth of 3 or 4 scales. In males, on the other hand, it will enter up to 7-9 scales. It is possible to get a false positive for a female if the snake is taut enough to prevent the probe from fully penetrating.
Step 3. Plan a cool down period
For a snake to become fertile, it needs a cool down period. The ambient air temperature during the night should be about 20-25 ° C for a period of about three months. The heat source in the cage - only during the night - should be lowered to around 30-35 ° C, while during the day the ambient temperatures should return to the usual 30 ° C. The idea is to replicate the climatic conditions of winter in Central Africa. It is precisely this cycle of winter cold that pushes these magnificent creatures to start their reproduction rituals.
During the cool-down period, periodically bring the male and female into contact. Keep them together for a few days, then separate again. They may try to mate during these times, but to no avail. However, it would be a good sign
Step 4. Heat them again
After the cold period, you can bring the temperature back to normal levels. A temperature suitable for the royal python produces sweating for almost all humans.
Method 2 of 4: Pairing
Step 1. Get the male aroused
Many male pythons require additional stimulation to get them in the mood to mate. The easiest way to do this is to get several males together. They will start noticing each other and will rise in an almost vertical pose. Somewhere there is a photograph of six or eight male royal pythons in this pose, they seem to be dancing! This process makes them very interested in contact with the opposite sex. Even just ten or twenty minutes of this activity greatly increases the male's interest in females.
Step 2. Introduce the female to the male
After putting them in contact, the best thing to do is to leave them alone and allow nature to take its course. Occasionally they may have a little fight, but there are rare cases where they injure themselves significantly. They will normally calm down within a few minutes, as soon as they are connected in mating.
Step 3. Leave them alone
Royal pythons can stay connected for up to two consecutive days. It's okay to observe them from time to time, but try not to disturb them. They are not in a hurry. It may take a long time to complete this crucial step. Any mating lasting less than three or four hours would almost certainly be a failure!
Step 4. Wait
A male python needs about a week to recover his energy. If you have to mate with more than one female, you will have to wait a while for it to recover.
Step 5. Wait again
The sperm that the male has deposited in the female will remain at his disposal for up to two years, without degrading!
Step 6. Observe the female to see if she is pregnant
The most obvious sign is the outline of the eggs inside it. Once you are sure of their presence, it will no longer be necessary to bring the male and the female together.
Method 3 of 4: Caring for the Female
Step 1. Prepare the spawning box
Provide the female with an egg-laying box, such as a plastic food box with the bottom covered in damp moss. It will spawn and wrap itself around them.
Step 2. Separate the eggs
Gently remove the female from the eggs, then move them to the incubation substrate, in a container similar to the spawning one, but closed.
Step 3. Make sure the temperature is suitable
Set the incubator temperature to 32 ° C. Check the eggs once a week to make sure they are healthy. During these periodic checks you will open the lid to allow air exchange, so you will not need to drill ventilation holes in the incubator.
Step 4. Feed the female
If the female is not eating, try washing her to remove the egg odor. It is important that you start eating again as spawning is a challenging process.
Step 5. The eggs should hatch approximately 55 days after laying
Method 4 of 4: Taking care of the little ones
Step 1. Place the babies in individual cages
After hatching it is important that each little python has its own separate cage lined with wet absorbent paper, at least until the first moult. After the first moult you can use newspaper or other substrates.
Step 2. Feed them mouse pinky
Hatchlings start eating mouse pinky within the first week or two, and will need to be fed every 5-7 days.
Step 3. Babies should also have their own water bowl and hiding place, just like adults
Advice
- Calm. Leave the pythons alone when they engage in the more intimate aspects of this process!
- If your male doesn't seem interested in the female, the presence of another male will usually be enough to change his mind.
- Make no mistake in arranging artificial winter for your pythons. Your odds of success will otherwise drop dramatically towards zero (although there is more and more evidence that seems to suggest this is not true).
Warnings
- Never feed pythons when they are together. They might start arguing over food, which would be too much of a distraction.
- Be extremely cautious when using sex determination probes. An untrained hand can easily cause damage. Any vet will tell you that he prefers to perform the procedure himself, rather than having to repair the damage of a poorly used probe.
