Reptile Forum, Reptile Classifieds - CaptiveBred

[j-clark]

hi just wondering can you house 2 royals together all year round?Evan thought they aren't old enough to mate? i was told this is OK but i fought that the female might get pregnant when she wasn't Evan ready for it.... so I'm not sure help please lol
thanks

[Lynne]

well i wouldnt. there is a chance she could when she isnt capable o actually laying. and laying takes a hell o a lot out of her. plus if one has runny poos how you gonna know which one. i just wouldnt.
_________________

[Jack]

ill second that

[Lynne]

thanks geckoguy, my f must be missing on my keyboard.
_________________

[Scott W]

Many people have kept snakes together without problems, this includes Royals.

I used to keep 3 or 4 in a large viv many years back. My main concern was ensuring that each one fed without then trying to eat the other (normally by total mistake).

I wouldn't have any concerns if someone wanted to keep two together year round from the moment they hatched. YES keeping two or more in the same viv is harder work and requires more time (feeding needs to be watched 100%) but the risks of any problems are very slim. If you wanted to elminate those risks totally then fine keep them seperate.

As for breeding too young, I'm not a big believer in animals mating too young and it killing them after all what's stopping all those young virgin animals in the wild mating and dying?

Most deaths / problems associated with young females are keeper error, i.e. keeping two animals together and not knowing one is gravid and then finding out too late to ensure she had somewhere to lay her eggs. Placing a nest box too late can cause egg retention etc

The most important thing is setting the cage up correctly and making sure you understand what your observations of the snakes are telling you.

Although even after saying all that above,Would I recommend keeping two snakes together? NO, not to someone I don't know or know their experience with reptiles.
_________________

Please DO NOT pm orders for reptiles, send email instead scott@captivebred.co.uk

[Lynne]

wa it not you scott who posted a picture of a female royal AFTER she had laid!!! and was the difference in her size not hellish. yes they probably will do it in the wild, and probably loads more will die in the wild because of it. if they are given time to grow, and i wont be breeding my females until they are over 2000 grams, then they will live longer and be healthier. im not saying dont keep two together, but its much easier to keep them apart, and safer. two males will fight at some point,
its personal preference i think. and mine is dont do it. plus i would hate th fact they had a wee pal for two years then all of a sudden that wee pal is whisked off to live in another tub!! but thats just me!
_________________

[Scott W]

Yep, I did post up a pic of a female that was very thin after laying 4 good eggs.

The photo did show just how much of the body fat it took to produce the eggs. She was a 2005 hatched female that laid a clutch of 4 eggs in 2007.

She weighed just 940 grams back in october (which was below her pre lay weight) but she has contiuned to feed fine. I doubt if she will breed this year.

The interesting thing about that snake is that she was my smallest female pastel yet she mated (like all the others did) but she was the only one to produce eggs. This tells me that she was ready, even if she was small. Where as the larger females may well of been near the 2000 gram mark but did not breed.

I do not have a problem at all with people wanting to hold their snakes back an extra year but in my experience I still haven't had any problems with any of my reptiles that have bred at an age that some may consider too young. Like I said I think most of the problems that are reported stem from owners not actually realising their animals were gravid until too late.

With regards to in the wild, I don't actually beleive that many do die from breeding too young, if that was the case populations would be far too unstable and species would die out as there would be no young females getting the chance to grow on.
_________________

Please DO NOT pm orders for reptiles, send email instead scott@captivebred.co.uk

[Lynne]

ah yes. or maybe in the wild they just DONT breed young. they do live in probably 1000's of miles of country in the wild. in a viv there is no way to get out the way. and this isny about breeding remember, its about keeping two together. personally...i wouldnt. its much easier when it comes to feeding, making sure they are safe etc to keep them in own vivs. i get peace of mind too.
_________________

[johonny]

iv seen royals constrict each other when feeding time comes i wouldn't risk it
_________________
http://johonny.proboards66.com/index.cgi

[Scott W]