Eastern Indigo Snakes and Captive Breeding?
 

I am very interested in the Eastern Indigo Snake. I have noticed while looking on here that they can be quite expensive. Besides them being threatened is their a specific reason why they are expensive? Also do they breed at all in captivity? Thanks for any information!

Robert Bruce- probably largest western US breeder, price is because there rare, and hard to breed correctly. If you want one, look for one in your state. Otherwise you'll need a permit.

Is there a specific reason why they don't breed well, or are they simply picky.

Well, its not that they don't breed well, its that after they breed you need to do something. Do what, I don't know. But from talking to Mr.Bruce it seems like the incubation is tricky.

Try www.indigosforever.org for answers, permit info and a list of breeders

@leper65: thanks for the link!

Actually, it's not all that tricky at all. You just have to treat indigos differently... ;)

In case this isn't common knowledge they breed in October and November. No, they don't have a breeding regimen like your typical colubrid. The secret is to provide the female a warm spot beginning in February (when most people would actually have them in brumation) for 8 hours a day. In the wild, the female will BASK in the sunlight outside of the burrow she is brumating within. Without this important part of the regimen, the eggs do not develop properly within her body, and then slowly die after laid while incubating in the medium you set up. Therefore you THINK that there is something wrong with the method you are using to incubate the eggs, when in actuality, the mistake you made was with the female while gravid.

Eggs will be laid sometime around April and hatch late July. One of my very fondest memories is while living in Maryland, hatching out my first clutch of these little gems and standing there in my basement with a double handful of freshly hatched baby indigo snakes on my own birthday. :thumbsup:

Thanks Rich!

I understand the Easterns can also be subject to egg binding a lot more so then other Drymarchon. Any truth to that Rich?

Learning all I can about Drymarchon, specifically unicolor. Was recently informed by a friend, that eggs were laid, and one has my name on it. My first Dry ever! :D

Beats me. I only worked with the easterns. The only time I can recall having egg binding was during one of my earliest breedings. And I blame that on my trying to treat them like typical colubrids. I now believe that the basking spot in the late winter months is critical.

Besides, if you have ever seen indigo eggs, you would be amazed that the females can pass them at all. They are R-O-U-G-H besides being B-I-G! They look like they have been sprinkled liberally with salt. They HAVE to hurt coming out! :ack2: I can easily see how a female might give up early if she has delayed laying them too long and they have swelled up.

Speaking of which, when you set up an egg laying box, make sure it is BIG, and make sure the peat moss (or whatever medium you choose) is packed TIGHTLY in there. The female needs to be able to actively BURROW into the medium to make her nesting area. Otherwise she will delay laying the eggs while she tries to find a more suitable nesting site.