does this look like breeding???

[adamanteus]

So, anyway..... I think the point has been made and discussed, no need for us to go on a 'witch-hunt'!
Like all of us, Brandon is here to learn from his peers. Although many of us clearly disapprove of what we think we see him doing, at least he his asking our opinion. But Brandon, in doing that you do 'put your head on the block', so to speak. So, moving right along......

I don't think balls do the breeding ball like the anacondas do..

Natalie, I was unaware that Anacondas form mating balls..... you learn something new every day. If I was a 'googler' I'd go check that out.

[Charlet_2007]

Anacondas mate in breeding aggregations ( Also called a mating ball..) composed of one female and up to 13 males. Males find females in the dry season and court them for several weeks, up to 40 days in some cases. The low levels of water in the peak of the dry season results in high density of anacondas and increased encounter rate that must influence the large number of animals that we find in the breeding aggregations. The competition in these aggregations produces a selection pressure for an optimal size in the males. Larger males obtain benefit in inter-male competitions as they are able to push away smaller animals but if they are too large the may be mistaken for females and courted by other males which lowers the efficiency of the large male at courtship. These opposing forces produce stabilizing selection on the male size leading to an optimal size with very little variance in male size. In the breeding aggregation, females mate several times but it is not known whether she mates with several males. It is not known which one of the many males courting her is the one that sires the offspring. The best way for a male to ensure that he will sire the offspring of a female is to be the only one that mates with the female. However, with a long receptivity period of the female lasting up to one month, it is unlikely that a male would monopolize all the matings of a given female. So the best that a male can do is to mate first, stay in the ball the longest and prevent other males from mating, and mate last. However females are known to engage in sexual cannibalism so the male that spends longer time with a female is risking being eaten.

[adamanteus]

Wow! A mating ball off Anacondas must be something to see! There weren't any photos with that article were there, Natalie?

[Charlet_2007]

no but i bet i can get some.. it was on animal planet here not to long ago.. I'm sorry they call it a breeding ball.. same thing lol

Anaconda Breeding Ball Video -- National Geographic

[Lulu Bennett]

no but i bet i can get some.. it was on animal planet here not to long ago.. I'm sorry they call it a breeding ball.. same thing lol

Anaconda Breeding Ball Video -- National Geographic

WOW!! natalie, there are some ace vids on there. thanks for that link hun xxx

[Charlet_2007]

your quite welcome... i book marked it lol

[Lori P]

Wow! Some cool videos there!! That one anaconda who ate the big rodent thing got quite a nasty bite. Thanks for sharing Natalie!!

[drache]

very cool
thanks, Natalie

[Charlet_2007]

welcome welcome...

[Charlet_2007]

That bite is the reason we don't feed our snakes live food and only F/T food..