Gaboon Behaviour

[Alan Hyde]

Ok, Please don't give me grief for this but, the only two mature bitis I have are a Fem WA Gab and a male Rhino from Ghana. I'm not into hybrids but i'm keen to learn all I can about bitis and just wanted to get breeding under way as a learning curve.
So, that said I've cycled the pair and given them the beggining of the rainy season.
I put the pair together a couple of weeks ago on three occasions, and each time the male rhino tried his best to copulate, head bobbing, tongue flicking and trying to get his tail underneath. The fem gaboon did not respond in any way , not even a flinch. So, I upped the rain and put them back together today. This time the gaboon came out of her area in the vines and followed him around. Then... She cornered him and exhibited the most odd behaviour, almost akin to sloughing movements. She twisted on her side and slid around him showing her belly scales, Then she twisted the other way and run along him pushing with her spine. The rhino became nervous and raised his head up the glass in let me out fashion, and with this she raised her head too then returned to the twist one way then the other behaviour. I became concerned about the rhino as he was so scared and hooked him out. The female gab then continued to go all around the enclosure repeating this twisting looks like i'm sloughing thing for the next hour. She has now settled back down .

So, was this breeding behaviour or threat (Get out of my viv type stuff) Or do you have any other thoughts?
Thanks for taking the time to read, and remember, I really want to make pure rhinos and gabs , just keen to get some experience in breeding bitis
Al

[Bushviper]

I have never witnesses this or any similar behaviour. Try getting that on video if possible.

I doubt that snakes have this as a threat behaviour. Hissing and striking would make far more sense. This is not recorded during capture which is when the threat is far higher than another snake in the neighbourhood.

If they were my snakes I would have left the male in with her. What she was doing is helping to spread her scent around as well which I would take to be a good sign.

Hybrids are a relative term. It happens in the wild and lets be honest the chances that you will ever release any of these or the next ten generations worth of offspring is virtually zero.

[BushSnake]

So, that said I've cycled the pair and given them the beggining of the rainy season.

I thought England only had a rainy season?

[WW]

So, that said I've cycled the pair and given them the beggining of the rainy season.

I thought England only had a rainy season?

That's a slanderous statement. The UK has a perfectly good dry season. This year, it was on a Thursday.

Cheers,

Wolfgang

[steve]

very interesting

[Alan Hyde]

Thanks for the thoughts folks
I'll reintroduce them to each other again today and video what happens (Although i'll need lesson on getting this to comp). I also spoke on the phone to some of my UK herpy pals and they had not seen this behaviour either.
I even restrained the gab later on and gave her a thorough check over for mites and she was clean as a whistle.

Bushsnake LOL! Pretty much so, but Wolfgang's quite correct except he's forgotten that this year the dry season stretched into friday am
Cheers

[Alan Hyde]

Unfortunately i'm going to have to wait untill the day after boxing day by the looks of it. Relatives coming in and out all the time i'm going to appear rude if I sit in my snake room watching the action.
Frustrating as both snakes are pacing endlessly now and i've a feeling this might work, but i'd hate to leave them together overnight and miss anything.

[Alan Hyde]

I did find time yesterday to put the pair back together. I had camera ready but she did not repeat the same behaviour. This time the Gab slid around Lifting the tail, and the rhino showed no interest and decided to turn arboreal. He went up in the vines and did nothing.
I left them all afternoon and kept looking in every half hour or so and nothing was happening.
The pair were left together over night so anything could've happened but I doubt it.

Oh well, if at first you do not succeed....

[Bushviper]

Seems like Rhinos do not take rejection well.

Lets hope he gets his priorities right.