Breeding ages...

[KITKAT]

OK... I know most garters can breed at 1 - 2 years for their first time... but does anyone here have experience with breeding OLDER garters? What is the oldest female that has delivered a litter? What is the oldest male that has produced young?

I have a lovely infernalis female named Ivory. I don't know her age. She was sold to me on Kingsnake and I bought her sight unseen, as the owner stated she was a nice flame and the price was unbelievably low. When I received her, I opened up the box and immediately knew she was no sirtalis, then almost immediately knew she was an adult CA Red sided.

Well... I tried for about a year to find a male for her, and could not find one that was an adult. Gave up and gave her to a friend... I think this was in '04. Sadly, my friend passed away in September, and I "inherited" her back again.

I wonder if she is now too old to breed? Any ideas?

[adamanteus]

The oldest female Garter I have ever bred from was eight years old. As for older males, I can't remember.

[Gijs & Sabine]

My large plains female is getting old. I bought her in 2001 and at that time I think she was 2 or 3 years old. So that means she must be 9 or 10 years old. Last year she gave birth to 55 babies, 2 died and the others were doing very well !! And at this time she also gravid and she is doing excellent. She is very active, eats a lot and looks very beautifull ( nice deep orange stripe) and she is 47 inch.

http://img518.imageshack.us/img518/1331/p1010781zo0.jpg

[adamanteus]

She is a very beautiful girl. I wasn't suggesting that eight years is any kind of deadline....only saying that's the oldest female I have ever bred from. I'm sure she'll produce many lovely babies!

[Cazador]

The oldest concinnus that I've successfully bred was only about 7 or 8, not a record by any means. I'm sure it's possible to breed them older, I just haven't done so.

Rick