>>Could very easily be an issue with the opposite sperm duct or something else malfunctioning on one side only.. Maybe only one side is fertile or functioning properly. This is another reason nature has male snake's typically stagger the use of their hemipenes so they have better odds at having good viable sperm whenever they happen to enconter a female, or even copulate with the same female soon after again. It's almost ALWAYS the opposite hemipenis that is used for the next copulation. I have been noting this for several years now and never payed much attention or gave it a second thought. When a good buddy of mine brought this to my attention a couple years ago after documenting the sides his Hondurans were using, I found it very interesting and started paying close attention to future matings at my place. Sure enough, 9 times out of ten the male uses the opposite one every successive time! be it Hondos, kings, corns, rats, etc...





The functioning problems you described are certainly a possibility as well as the problems I've described in husbandry (temps/hydration) after insemination. Then there is the overall health of a female and if her reproductive system is working correctly in each of her oviducts.....



And I, too have noticed over the years that the male utilizes both hemipenes alternating each time......

I was told this a long time ago, but I never really see all the copulations.......
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John Lassiter

Poor planning and procrastination on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part...

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