I read the snakes body language per say, if the female sits on the male I allow it for no more than 12 hours especially for smaller males, large males I don't worry about but I still pull them if the female sits on them.
If they are sitting side by side and no scenting has taken place and the females tail is curled inward, then she's already told him no, I pull the male.
If they are on opposite sides of the tub for more than 24 hours and no scenting has taken place, they get separated.
I find when both are ready and willing participants that the female will scent the tub up within minutes typically but certainly within hours.
If the female doesn't scent the tub up the first 24 hours after pairing then she probably won't on the second or third day either, I pull him.
I don't leave males with females for longer than 4 days, 2-3 is probably the average.
I offer males smaller than normal meals to try to keep them on feed as long as possible, nothing larger than a weanling for any male during the season.
stevek
don't be discouraged if they are not interested in eating. 4-6 months w/o out eating is not unusual.
If the male is over 1000 grams then it's not usually an issue, but the smaller the male the more that becomes dangerous to their health.
Having lost a small male to breeding I know first hand, keep them eating as long as possible and be prepared to pull the male if he gets too small.
