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Reproduction of the Children's Python
These pythons are extremely easy to breed, and it's basically just a matter of putting a male and a female together. At my facility, there is a natural temp drop in the winter, but I will offer food year-round as the snakes still have access to temps conducive for digestion. The snakes will choose lower temps on their own and will cycle in the thermogradient provided. During the cooler months, the snakes will breed actively. Males will sometimes refuse food during breeding time, and then females will usually follow suit once they are gravid. This is nice, because you only have one snake to feed during the breeding season. Again, it is important to provide the female with adequate food to allow for egg production. About 90 days after copulation, the female will lay her eggs and coil tightly around them. Eggs are usually laid in the moist hide, and care must be taken to keep the moss slightly damp for good humidity.
Females can incubate the eggs maternally or the eggs can be removed and set up in a pre-warmedincubator. I keep the incubation chamber at 89 degrees F +/- a few degrees. A little fluctuation in temperature is not detrimental in most cases. As moisture in incubation media such as pearlite or vermiculite will vary it is best to leave that to the person with the eggs in hand, as no one level of moisture will work for everyone. I recommend leaving the incubation medium on the dry side. Eggs can be killed by too much moisture as well as too little, but it is easier to reverse the effects of too little moisture. Monitor the eggs weekly or as desired to make sure the eggs look healthy. Dead eggs that mold will not spread mold to healthy eggs, so, unless the eggs is easily removed, the egg can be left in with the others.
Eggs will hatch after about 2 months, depending on incubation conditions. Patience is important during egg incubation, and clutches of eggs can be messed up if the keeper is impatient. If all the eggsin a clutch have pipped except 1 or 2, these unpipped eggs may be gently opened, taking care not to injure the small snake inside. The hatchlings will emerge from the egg with plenty of yolk as energy supplies. I usually set them up similarly to the adults, except individually and in smaller cages. The snakes must have a feeling of security, with tight hide spots to feel comfortable. I usually wait a week or two after the hatchlings shed before offering food items. The hatchlings will grow quickly as they feed.
This Caresheet & Photos provided by Justin Julander with permission. Visit Justin's Web Site at Australian Addiction Reptiles. All content of this caresheet is copyright of Australian Addiction Reptiles/Justin Julander and may not be used or copied without his written permission.