| Rough Guide Timetable |
Pairs are normally introduced early in spring
and throughout the summer but females will continue to lay eggs
throughout the year.
If the female is ready, mating is normally initiated quickly and
if allowed, frequently.
After successful mating it is normally around 6 - 8 weeks until the female completes
a pre-lay slough. Particularly during the latter stages, a gravid house
snake will often go off her food and it is advisable to offer
smaller food items.
From pre-lay
slough to egg laying is approximately 5 to 10 days. House
snakes usually complete a post lay slough.
Incubation time is
approx 2 months.
|
| Brumation |
Not
necessary |
| Incubation Temperature
| 27°C
(80°F) to 29°C (85°F) |
| Expected Number of Eggs |
Clutches can
vary considerably but between 6 and 16 eggs per clutch is typical.
|
| Incubation Days |
Normally around 60 days at a constant temperature of around 28-28.5°C (82-84°F).
Successful incubation has been achieved with temperatures between 25°C (77°F)
and 29°C (85°F) but hatching would be expected to take anywhere between
50 and 100 days.
|
| Incubation Method | See our Guide to Incubating Snake
Eggs.
|
| Multiple Clutches |
Female house Snakes are
well known for mutliple clutching therefore before you embark on
breeding you should be confident that your female is of sufficient
size and muscle tone to produce a few clutches. If you are in
any doubt, even the slightest doubt, we would recommend waiting an
extra year.
Multiple clutches of
slugs from females who have not been with a male or who have only
mated once are also not uncommon.
|
| Stopping the Cycle |
The most commonly asked question regarding
breeding house snakes is not about getting them to start breeding
it's about getting them to stop breeding! There is no simple
answer but here are a few of our thoughts.
| - |
Housing males and
females together all year round is not a good idea and will
probably lead to premature death of both of the snakes.
|
| - |
Whilst laying fertile eggs is probably
better for the female than laying slugs, this is not a reason
to keep introducing her to a male.
|
| - |
Feeding a female well in between
clutches is normally a very good idea however in house snakes
this will also initiate the next clutch of eggs therefore if
she has continually laid eggs for a while and needs a break
sometimes offering her a little less food is a good
tactic.
|
| - |
Breeding season may be initiated
when males and females are kept in the same area so if you are
having difficulty, consider moving one of the sexes into
another room.
|
| - |
If all else has failed, consider a
short cooling period for your female (ensuring she is empty
first). This is often a very difficult decision to make as she
will be underweight and under condition but sometimes it is
the best option to give her a rest. Once out of cooling she
may begin again but in our experience it may buy her the time
that she needs to recuperate.
|
| - |
If you are
trying to introduce your female to a different male this year
than she mated with last year you will need her to stop
producing first to be able to be certain which male is the
father this year. |
|
| |
| Caring for the
Female
|
Gravid females often
refuse food therefore smaller food items should be offered
whilst your female is gravid.
House snakes are known for laying eggs in water
bowls however it has only happened to us once when it was
an unexpected clutch and her laying boxes had both
been allowed to dry out. W e suspect
therefore that this may be a consequence of not offering sufficient
or suitable laying boxes. Other breeders recommend removing the
water bowl at laying time.
Immediately after
removing the eggs we place the female in a tub of fresh luke warm
water to clean the substrate, particularly from her eyes and
mouth and also to give her the chance for a much needed
drink. At this time we offer her a single smaller
food item and continue with smaller food items a few days
later.
|
|
Hatchlings |
House
snakes will complete their first shed around one to
two weeks after hatching. In our experience, many of the hatchlings
will be slow to get going but most will get there eventually.
Some of the
hatchlings may be too small for pinkie mice and may
therefore require regular assist feeding with mouse tails or similar small
food items until they sufficiently increase their size. |
| Recommended
links | African House Snakes
Forum |
