Thank you Dan, Making this about right or wrong is the problem with you guys. Its about discussion and possibly learning some husbandry skills.
Of course I could be wrong, but what would eliminate any question would be if you guys actually learned how to palpate females and then there would be no doubt when and how a female cycles.
Even your report is full of assumptions. Like contact with other animals. That would cause wild hogs to lay eggs over 9 most of the year. Also because I tend to keep snakes in groups, they would be reproducing all the time.
Your example of taking a female to a show, I have to wonder if a temperature change from brumation to car rides and show temps could cause a female to cycle. That seems far more likely to me. But that does not matter. You or I will not know why his female was gravid in winter. The reason is, we do not have the snake in hand to "know" the details. So pretty much everything we talk about with other folks problem animals, is merely discussion.
You seem to want to make me the bad guy, which is odd. If I have an understanding gained from decades of experience, that does not make me a bad guy or even right. That it makes you feel threatened is your own ego problems.
About this skill. When we were in the beginning of colubrid discovery, WE had to develop skills to be successful. So let me tell you a story. A friend Ernie Wagner, would always carry a silk handkerchief. And whenever we visited another persons collection, he would hold the animals and palpate them. I also always do that. Doing that is a matter of communication. That is, it tells us what condition the animal is in. It tells us if the animal is healthy, in breeding condition, cycling, has a bolus etc.
Also saying I am wrong without reading what I said, really is telling. Also thinking any comments on here are solid fact without real knowledge of the animal is a weak assumption. All we can offer here is ideas. Best wishes

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