Methods for Introducing Snakes and Key Points for Breeding
@#@246@#@The quality of snake introduction directly affects the survival rate and reproductive capacity of the snakes. To obtain breeding snakes, you can apply for approval from the relevant management authorities and capture snakes in the wild yourself. If local snake resources are scarce, you will need to introduce breeding snakes.
1. The best seasons for introduction are spring and autumn
In spring, the weather is suitable, and shortly after introduction the snakes will enter the egg-laying or birthing period, which is especially suitable for beginners. Autumn is also a good season for introduction, because the weather is neither too cold nor too hot, and it is the peak season for snakes to hunt, and also the time when they are at their strongest in the year. Breeders located a little farther away can introduce breeding snakes in this season. For beginners, it is more suitable to start raising half-grown snakes (young adult snakes). This is because half-grown snakes are better than small snakelets in growth, disease resistance and feeding, and can adapt more quickly to a new living environment.
2. Introducing snakes from artificially bred snake farms
Breeding snakes should be introduced from snake farms with a breeding scale, and the breeding snakes should come from different locations, trying as much as possible to prevent inbreeding. Do not buy snakes sold by snake vendors in snake markets or farmers' markets, to avoid buying inferior snakes that have just been force-fed or stuffed with sand or injected with water, or venomous snakes whose fangs have been pulled out.
3. Catching or purchasing breeding snakes
When selecting parent snakes, they must be large in body length and robust. The size specifications for purchasing and introducing breeding snakes are: generally, small varieties should be 100-200 grams, medium varieties 150-350 grams each, and large varieties 250-600 grams. The best ones are lively and active, with good elasticity when stretched, fierce and spirited, with full and cylindrical muscles, glossy and shiny body surface, bright and vivid skin patterns and colors, and no injuries or diseases. For those that are temporarily difficult to determine whether they have diseases or injuries, they can first be isolated for trial rearing.
When checking whether a snake has internal injuries, you can place the snake on the ground to crawl and observe whether it moves flexibly and naturally; or hold the head and tail with both hands and stretch it straight naturally. If the snake has a strong curling ability, it indicates there are no internal injuries; otherwise, it cannot be used as a breeding snake. If the skin is slightly injured but there are no internal injuries, as long as iodine tincture is applied and it heals soon, it can still be used as a breeding snake. Next, check whether it has a gallbladder. Some snake catchers cut open the snake's gallbladder with a sharp blade, then sew it up with a needle and take it to the market for sale. This kind of snake without a gallbladder can still survive for some time, but it cannot be selected and kept for breeding. Next, check whether the fangs are complete. For those purchasing venomous snakes as breeding stock, it is also necessary to open the snake's mouth to check whether it has complete fangs. This is because some snake catchers, after catching a snake, in order to avoid injury from the fangs, open the snake's mouth and roughly pull out the fangs with a sharp tool. This kind of snake without fangs is mostly difficult to keep alive afterward, so it cannot be purchased and kept for breeding. If a snake is found to be dull in expression, unwilling to flick its tongue, thin and weak in body, with dry and loose scales, and a loss of luster in color, this kind of snake may have contracted a disease and is also not suitable for selection and retention for breeding. When introducing young breeding snakes, attention should be paid to a reasonable ratio of females to males. Generally, the female-to-male ratio is 5:1.