Breeding

[Edcase]

My two checkered garters are acting strange. I found the two raped around each other this morning (at first i thought the larger of the two was eating the smaller :S my heart was pounding lol, that wasnt the case though) they dont usually get so close together like this they seem to keep . I also found one of them chasing the other around the viv?

Is this some sort of mating or are they fighting? theyve never had a problem before and i cant be sure if they are male and female?

Update ive just seen one of themsort of "rippiling" up the other?

[Odie]

Sounds like the lead up to breeding :D

[Edcase]

Ive been carefully watchin them and i would agree lol...Ill have to see what happens but any advice on IF babies do appear, what i should do would be appreciated. Ive never seen them "at it" before is it certain times of the month??

[drache]

it's more a time-of-year thing
you do have three months and then some until you can expect little ones
so you've got time to get the bunk beds ready

[GarterGirl]

Thats what Sammy and Boyfriend did.
Good luck with the babies! :D

[Sid]

Does sound like mating to me. You'll have 90 to 120 days until "delivery". I keep gravid female in and enclosure by themselves when they get close to time. Removes the chance of other individuls deciding to make a snake of a little one. Then I move the newborns to small containers.

[adamanteus]

Hi Joe. Yeah, that's breeding behaviour:)... the one doing the 'rippling' is the male. As Sid suggested, you should separate the female as she nears her time... marcianus males are known to eat the babies as they are born. Good luck and keep us posted.

[GarterGirl]

marcianus males are known to eat the babies as they are born. Good luck and keep us posted.

And Joe, be careful cause this weird snake called James Sirtalis or somethin like that might try to eat them too!

[Sputnik]

Removes the chance of other individuls deciding to make a snake of a little one.

You mean a snack, right? :D

[anji1971]

Probably a snake-snack!!:D

[Stefan-A]

Probably a snake-snack!!:D
Wasn't that a Bond villain? :D ;)

[Edcase]

awesome ill make sure i seperate the female closer to time then. Bit of a shock considering i thought they were both females lol...i guess not

[GarterGirl]

Bit of a shock considering i thought they were both females lol...i guess not

Lol! That would be weird.

[Edcase]

Anymore tips on keeping bubies then? How long i should wait until i move them out of the main viv, whether they should all be put together, how i should be feeding them that sort of thing. Unless someone knows a caresheet etc that could help. Thnaks

[EdgyExoticReptiles]

Babies do well in a community environment but make sure to get them lots of hides because they get scared easily, as soon as the mother gives birth you should remove the babies, if you dont know if youll be there put some hides that only the babies can fit into (like an upside down deli cup with a small hole), if you have a lot of babies its easier to just feed them all together but some still choose to feed separately, if you feed altogether on like a community plate make sure that the babies dont get in fight over food and accidentally swallow another, and i would use paper towels to eliminate the risk of them eating the bedding on accident, and also in a community environment make sure everyone is getting their fill of food

Anymore tips on keeping bubies then? How long i should wait until i move them out of the main viv, whether they should all be put together, how i should be feeding them that sort of thing. Unless someone knows a caresheet etc that could help. Thnaks

[Ameivaboy]

Babies do well in a community environment but make sure to get them lots of hides because they get scared easily, as soon as the mother gives birth you should remove the babies, if you dont know if youll be there put some hides that only the babies can fit into (like an upside down deli cup with a small hole), if you have a lot of babies its easier to just feed them all together but some still choose to feed separately, if you feed altogether on like a community plate make sure that the babies dont get in fight over food and accidentally swallow another, and i would use paper towels to eliminate the risk of them eating the bedding on accident, and also in a community environment make sure everyone is getting their fill of food


Easier to feed them all together is true, though it is a terrible idea.
I kept all my babies last year together except at feeding time


http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h8/Ameivaboy/DSC02208-1.jpg

I strongly suggest separting to feed and then giving them quite a while before being reintroduced to each other again. the scent of a fish (or other meal) still on one garter can make another attack then you'll get something like this


http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h8/Ameivaboy/Thamnophis/DSC02424-1.jpg


Dont underestimate thier sense of smell or their appetites.

[EdgyExoticReptiles]

did you get the OR red-spotted out in time?

[drache]

I separate babies from adults
and I feed babies separately
better safe than sorry, I say

[Edcase]

Wow he must have been preety hungry lol. What does everyone feed the babies. Pinky bits ive heard?? theyd have to be small bits i suppose tho. I like the small cup idea to i think ill adopt that

[Stefan-A]

Holy crap. :D

After two fights and several close calls, I've decided to monitor my vagrans juvies until they settle down after feeding. I'm sort of glad I have the time to do that. :)

[CrazyHedgehog]

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h8/Ameivaboy/Thamnophis/DSC02424-1.jpg


Dont underestimate thier sense of smell or their appetites.
OMG :eek:
Did either survive that?

[Sputnik]

That brings back really bad memories of our cornsnakes' feeding accident. I'm still traumatised by that incident. :( Luckily the swallowed snake eventually recovered and the nasty wound on his neck healed, leaving just a pink scar.

[anji1971]

Yikes!:eek:
That is a rather gruesome picture........I'm also curious as to whether or not either survived.

[Ameivaboy]

I forced the one to regurgitate and the red spot was still alive but only lived a few days afterwards (sucks too cause after it was still alive I decided to keep it because it was such a trooper). the one that was eating it survived and ate like a pig until I sold it.

I had fed them separtley (as noted in the other picture I posted) but was keeping all of my thamnophis offspring
in a 20l together. the puget smelled the fish that the red spot had ate and attacked it and began to swallow. If space allowed I would house them all separetley but breeding several species and having animals constantly coming in and going out it is not feasible.

Kevin

[adamanteus]

Damn. Stuff happens, Kevin. I had to break up two food fights today.

[ssssnakeluvr]

I lost a multiple het plains that was anery like that....sucks!!! thats why I keep them separate...