Can a male be too large to breed?

[2manysnakes]

I have searched through the posts, for an answer, but have only found discussions on whether or not the male is big enough. I have a 625 gram male and a 725 gram male. We thought they were gravid females when we got them because of size and what looked like swelling above the cloaca. We had them probed by a very experienced herper, and well they are both males. So that gives us 7 males and 9 females. All the females we plan to breed are 300-500 grams right now, well before when we will be breeding. My question is would it be dangerous to put a male that size in with a smaller (than him) female? I know that with boas, most will not mate with a smaller female. I was wondering if it was the same with corns.
Also, to all you breeders, what kind of ratio of male to females do you use? Do you use 1 to 1 or more than that? Is it okay to breed one male to multiple females, and if so how many? Just want to be safe, and get the best results. Thank you.

Amber

 

[Susan]

I don't see a problem in using a larger male as long as the female is a good size as well. Perhaps using the 725 gram male with a 300 female may be a bit rough on the female, but she should be able to handle it. But if you're seeing swellings above the cloaca, then they are probably what is referred to as "hips" and they are often associated with obesity. You can put a snake with "hips" on a diet to get them to a proper weight, but some will often retain the "hips" anyway. And personally, I've never seen a corn snake that large that wasn't a bit over-weight, and that would concern me more with breeding than the size difference between male and female. Over-weight creatures of any species tend to have a lower fertility rate than those with a good weight and condition. You have some time to maybe exercise your 2 big males as well as put them on a diet to see if you can get them into the best shape for breeding in the spring. This is a female of mine that had developed "hips".