- Joined
- Aug 19, 2002
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- 1,328
Well it looks like the egg laying has begun and a tad quicker than I expected even. Not that I'm complaining. 
1st one to go for me was my female Greyband # 2 ( the darker one ) Here are the events in order that led up to it.
Brought them out of hibernation in mid Feb and started feeding them all they would eat.
4-7-03 Introduced the male to her for the 1st time and he went right to work.
He shoots he scores
Put the male back in with her overnight on 4-24-03 but don't think he did anything then as he was in shed and having a hard time getting her pinned down. Which is why he was left in overnight to give him time to accomplish the feat.
By early May she was quite swollen and lumpy and it was obvious from looking alone that she was gravid. Also the eggs could easily be felt through her body. On 5-9-03 she shed and I knew that eggs were on the way but was thinking more like 10 to 14 days rather than 8. It seems that Greybands typically drop eggs sooner than most Colubrids at 2 to 7 days after shedding instead of the normal 14 days.
Here she is today 5-17-03 a mere 40 days after breeding with 9 perfect eggs.
And the eggs by themselves along with a ruler for a size reference.
The thing about this breeding that made it especially cool for me was that according to most of the Greyband experts if you will breeding them earlier than July doesn't result in eggs. It can happen and has but supposedly not often. It seems that the conditions they are kept in and not the month on the calendar are actually what determine this as last time I checked mine can't read the calendar and have no idea what day it is. Seriously though this breeding is exciting to me as it shows that even with well established captives that have been bred for years and years such as kings and corns that there is still much to be learned and none of the rules are set in stone. The other great thing about it is that I bought these as proven breeders and unlike breeders I have bought in the past they do indeed lay the number of eggs I was told they would. A very rare thing in the reptile hobby.
Phil
1st one to go for me was my female Greyband # 2 ( the darker one ) Here are the events in order that led up to it.Brought them out of hibernation in mid Feb and started feeding them all they would eat.
4-7-03 Introduced the male to her for the 1st time and he went right to work.
He shoots he scores
Put the male back in with her overnight on 4-24-03 but don't think he did anything then as he was in shed and having a hard time getting her pinned down. Which is why he was left in overnight to give him time to accomplish the feat.
By early May she was quite swollen and lumpy and it was obvious from looking alone that she was gravid. Also the eggs could easily be felt through her body. On 5-9-03 she shed and I knew that eggs were on the way but was thinking more like 10 to 14 days rather than 8. It seems that Greybands typically drop eggs sooner than most Colubrids at 2 to 7 days after shedding instead of the normal 14 days.
Here she is today 5-17-03 a mere 40 days after breeding with 9 perfect eggs.
And the eggs by themselves along with a ruler for a size reference.
The thing about this breeding that made it especially cool for me was that according to most of the Greyband experts if you will breeding them earlier than July doesn't result in eggs. It can happen and has but supposedly not often. It seems that the conditions they are kept in and not the month on the calendar are actually what determine this as last time I checked mine can't read the calendar and have no idea what day it is.
Seriously though this breeding is exciting to me as it shows that even with well established captives that have been bred for years and years such as kings and corns that there is still much to be learned and none of the rules are set in stone. The other great thing about it is that I bought these as proven breeders and unlike breeders I have bought in the past they do indeed lay the number of eggs I was told they would. A very rare thing in the reptile hobby.Phil
