Hi Tony, what you brought up is absolutely true.

When I first produced lines of cal kings, many females would lay fewer larger eggs. Then as they matured the first clutch would be fewer larger eggs, then the second clutch would be many smaller eggs. Same female same year.

This does bring up so much of what we do not know. Like what controls that.

But thats far above and beyond what we are discussing here. We are just dicussing the use of energy by captive individuals.

Also if these abilities are natural(within their genetic potenial) or not. The main discussion is those thinking its something about captivity. Not something natural.

With your understanding, you should realize its both. They do have a natural ability to multiclutch under supporting conditions. And in captivity, they have little to expend their energy on, other then growth and reproduction. So they should be far more prone to multiclutching in captivity then in nature, where so many other pressures inhibit them.

What we have seen in our studies is, they, snakes, have a range of reproductive abilities based on varying conditions. And the conditions do vary over long periods of time. Cheers

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