Breeding question

I have an adult female spider that is over 1,500 grams and has been breeding with my pewter since October 2012. They locked exactly 11 times since then and she is still showing no signs of being gravid or building for the matter. It's been over 6 months, what's going on?! I never had this problem with any of my females. I think I felt follicles in her, but I am not too sure. I also notice that whenever I place him in her cage she spends a day wagging her tail and then gives in to him the next day. Do some females usually take longer to show signs?

it doesn't matter how many times you breed her, it matters when she is ready. Much like being a female you can have sex many times and not get pregnant, but your sister can get pregnant after one night. the snakes cycle is a more drawn out cycle. For this fact you hear of a female having babies from a male she was with the year before. Usually when she is gravid the male will not breed her at all and she will show no signs of interest in him. just keep feeding her and wait to feel follicles, her to nest and stop eating. I would say 11 times is enough, but if your not wasting him on her instead of other females continue pairing if it makes you feel better.

Most of my girls that pair in October don't lay until June-September. If she's still wagging her tail, she is still receptive and most likely not gravid. I'd keep pairing her until you start to see some developmental changes or the end of May.

Thanks guys for the responses! She did stop eating but I still feel no follicles. I will take your advices and keep pairing until I notice anything. And maybe your right Randy, she might not be ready. But I guess only time will tell. :-/ Thanks!

So to get this straight, (hope I'm not taking over your thread Kristina, I think it applies) when you feel follicles/eggs you stop pairing? Follicles begin as sort of water balloon type *things* inside the female and then develop and become larger and harder?

No, you definitely don't want to stop pairing when you feel follicles. You'll feel them for many months. They start off so small you can't feel them. I'm still new to palpating, but if I do notice them, it's not until they are small marble-sized. I want to say they ovulate around golf ball size and then after ovulation, I no longer feel them and they are all squishy. If you search, it will tell you the exact millimeters on when the best time to pair the snakes and at what size they are when she ovulates.

This may be wrong, but for some reason 26mm comes to mind. I think that's around an inch and was the "most important" time to pair. If you google ultrasound and follicles for ball pythons, all the info should be easily found, none of which is really needed to breed unless you just like to know and perfect

Luke, I love the cycle sheet. It's very helpful. Thanks.

I found it on Facebook. Not mine, but I agree, very useful.

That sheet is awesome! Props to whoever did put that together. Visually its an easy reference.