When to separate boys and girls

[dieselbaby]

I have a male and female checkered garter pair, although they are brother and sister and i do NOT want to breed them. They will be a year old late this summer, my question is, when should i separate these two so i dont get any unwanted breeding going on.. I thought i read somewhere they dont breed til age two, but i want to make sure this is accurate information.. Im hoping to keep them together until the new baby pugets are big enough so i can put the girls together and the boys together. I dont want anyone to be lonely...lol..

Thanks so much in advance.

[guidofatherof5]

A year old would probably be a safe separation time. Anything long and anything's possible.
Better to remove any possibility of it happening.

[dieselbaby]

Thanks Steve, i knew you would have the answer. that means they will be lonely for awhile til the pugets get big enough to not be eaten by mine lol maybe i can find a really big tank with a glass divider or something so they can visit through the glass..

[guidofatherof5]

Thanks Steve, i knew you would have the answer. that means they will be lonely for awhile til the pugets get big enough to not be eaten by mine lol maybe i can find a really big tank with a glass divider or something so they can visit through the glass..

That was just MY answer. Get a few more and pool the ideas into what feels right to you.

[chris-uk]

I plan to take our male blackneck out of the communal tank at around a year. He's got the female blackneck and a couple of female checkereds for company at the moment, so I definitely want him moved before there's a possibility that he could show interest.

[gregmonsta]

I don't tend to go past six months if I can help it. I tend to keep them separate from the start if at all possible.

[indigoman]

I had one of my T.marcianus give birth to 2 babies at 1 year old, 6 months is the longest from my experience.

[dieselbaby]

well i hate to separate them, they are so bonded and love eachothers company. I wish there was snake spay and neutering lol... Wow 6 months huh, well they about that now, and show no interest in eachother that way, only in chasing eachother at feeding time to steal worm pieces when i feed worms. I guess where ever i read that 2 yr thing they way off the mark.. maybe that was a recommended breeding age or something.

[EasternGirl]

I completely understand not wanting to separate. Cee Cee and Seeley need to be separated...they were together because I orginally thought Seeley was a female for quite some time...and then found out he was a male. Now that they have been trying to mate, they need to be in separate enclosures...but they love being together so much, it breaks my heart and I end up letting them stay together a lot. Steve is going to be sending me same sex mates for them soon so that I can finally separate them without feeling guilty about leaving them alone.

[chris-uk]

I had one of my T.marcianus give birth to 2 babies at 1 year old, 6 months is the longest from my experience.

Giving birth at one year old has to be at the extreme end of the sexual maturity spectrum though? But it does provide a warning that a year may be leaving it late.

Steve is going to be sending me same sex mates for them soon so that I can finally separate them without feeling guilty about leaving them alone.

I assume you use "mates" in the context of buddies/friends/company, rather than in the biological sense? If it is the latter, I don't know how to break it to you, but you may want to rethink the breeding plans.