Python Breeding Characteristics

According to the Zoological Society of San Diego and the San Diego Zoo, there are two species of snakes known as "constrictors": pythons and boas. Both species are best known both for their large size and their method of hunting and killing prey. Constrictors use their massive bodies and muscles to suffocate their meals before feeding. While they are very similar, there are several differences between pythons and boas. Probably the most striking characteristic is found in breeding. Boas give birth to live young, whereas pythons lay eggs.

  1. Breeding Season

    • Pythons take their breeding cues from the light cycle and ambient temperature. Typically, captive pythons breed during the shortest days of the year, when the temperatures are cooler. In the Northern Hemisphere, the breeding season is most often between November and April, though some species breed at odd times of the year. Pythons are abundant in tropical climates, and their natural habitats are primarily found in the Southern Hemisphere. In the Southern Hemisphere, wild-python breeding activities have been observed to occur primarily from September through November.

    Reaching Maturity

    • It is believed that pythons achieve sexual maturity when they reach a certain size, as opposed to a certain age. As a result, some pythons may begin breeding at an earlier age than others. In Burmese pythons, for example, males are able to breed when they reach about 8 feet in length, and females at 10 feet. The smaller the python, the fewer eggs she will likely yield.

    Courtship

    • During the breeding season, males tend to be more aggressive toward each other and will fight. When a healthy male and female meet, there is usually a period of courtship, thought this is sometimes short. The male will often straighten out alongside the female, as if comparing lengths, when he introduces himself. He will then follow her around and crawl over her, using his anal spurs to prepare for copulation.

    Eggs and Hatching

    • After copulation has occurred, the female will ovulate, producing eggs. At this point, the male is no longer needed. The female's body will appear as though she swallowed a football, and she will seem bloated. After she lays the eggs, she will coil around them to incubate them, and remain with them until they hatch. If it is particularly cold, she will shiver in order to generate more heat to keep the eggs viable. The female will incubate and protect her eggs until they hatch. Once hatched, the young pythons are left to fend for themselves. During copulation, ovulation and incubation, the female will not feed. Depending on the species, the eggs can take 60 days or more to hatch. Environmental factors such as temperature will affect the incubation period. As a result, she will lose as much as 44% of her body weight. It is believed that, for this reason, female pythons will usually not breed again for two to three years.