>>I was wondering about the concept of some female hondurans after an obvious mating, able to retain sperm from the male only to develop during the next season. When this happens, is there a visual or physical manisfestation of this phenomenon... like if I can feel some bumps (not really as big as eggs, but seems like ovulation without resulting into egg development, is that a possibility of sperm retention only to be laid the next season)?

I don't see any reason to think retained sperm would create an observable sign. Ova aren't generated (in my uneducated opinion) in response to the presence of sperm, but rather in response to environmental conditions, etc. We know a snake can ovulate and never be introduced to a male--you'd feel bumps, even see the physical manifestations--but no sperm would ever be present. So imho, there'd be no outward sign of whether or not a snake was harboring sperm that could be used to fertilize the next year's ova.

On the other hand, as observed in this thread, MAYBE sometimes ova from one year are retained & shelled & deposited the following year. Maybe. So in that case, a situation like you're describing could exist--resulting in deposition of good eggs next year. But are you going to withhold males from her next spring in order to see whether or not she lays good eggs? That test would be necessary for you to advance a theory about her producing based on sperm retained from this year.



terry

[ Show Entire Thread ]