I don’t believe heavy feeding alone can induce follicle maturation or subsequent ovulation, but pythons that are underweight will many times not ovulate due to obvious energy constraints even if all the environmental signals are in place. However, pythons that are gearing up to move into an ovulation period due to seasonal environmental cues will show an increased appetite in order to build up energy reserves for an impending ovulation. If those reserves can not be built up to a certain point, then ovulation will be delayed until next year’s reproductive cycle.
Environmental factors such as temperature, seasonal weather pattern changes, and differences in photoperiod will stimulate follicle development in female pythons. Follicle maturation into fully developed ova and their subsequent release into the oviducts are usually initiated by courtship and the following copulation activity, as most snakes are considered induced ovulators. The female will absorb immature follicles that do not develop into mature ova due to lack of courtship by a male. Fully developed and mature ova that are not fertilized for some reason cannot be absorbed and are released later by the female python as unfertilized shelled eggs, or unfertilized ova or “slugs” with boas.

Kelly

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