female laying breeding

[nstd]

my female panther turned 1 in January. Im expecting her to lay soon. I have a couple questions.

1. Would black fly larvae be good food to feed for recovery since its high in calcium?

2. when should i introduce my male to breed after she lays?

3. How many chances through out the year do I have to breed them?

 

[kinyonga]

Regarding when to introduce the male to her after she lays eggs...give her some time because she will repel him likely for a while after the egg laying anyhow. To introduce them to breed them I usually hold the male outside the female's cage so they can see each other but can't get at each other and watch the reactions. If the female turns dark, rocks back and forth, lunges at the male, gapes, etc then put the male back in his cage...she's not ready. If the female remains calms and likely hugs the branch and moves slowly away from the male...no gaping, lunging, etc then she's likely receptive and they can be put together IF the male is also not showing aggression. I would still watch them in case things change so you can prevent them from hurting each other.

The female will likely become receptive several times during the year...but it's good to give her a break and not mate her every time. She will also likely lay more than one clutch from one mating.

Don't overfeed her constantly because she will lay larger clutches and it will be hard on her. It can also lead to health issues.

Please read up on egglaying and incubation and hatchling care before you do this. Do you have an egglaying bin IN her cage now because you should. Don't let her see you watching her when she's digging either.