Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I havent been able to cycle my Hyde County kings very well, but they've spent some time down in a dark room with no feeding for 2 months or so. I took some out today for maintenance and I noticed that my favorite female seems to have had a menstrual cycle judging by some rub off on her scales where she crossed under her own body and the reddish color around her cloaca.
Was this my only short for breeding or can I still possibly have a good season with her?
How many times do female colubrids ovulate in a year?

Thanx
-----
Tom
TCJ Herps
"The more people I meet, the more I like my snakes"

typo
-----
Tom
TCJ Herps
"The more people I meet, the more I like my snakes"

You still have plenty of time - believe me! Just feed her, let her shed and try (introducing the male) over several weeks if need be - you should have a good hook-up soon!

Zee
-----
"I am an expert on everything, but I know so little and have so much to learn!" -Carsten "Zee" Zoldy-

i believe that blood spotting is the result of slight rupturing of blood vessels at the cloaca

Human menstruation is actually the shedding of the endometrial (uterine) lining which is there to help form the maternal contribution to the placenta. Since snakes don't form a placenta (only placental mammals do), there is no need to produce and shed this lining if fertilization doesn't take place. Therefore, snakes don't menstruate.

Was this my only short for breeding or can I still possibly have a good season with her?

She may not even be ready yet. Your male will usually let you know.

How many times do female colubrids ovulate in a year?

That's an interesting question, to which I don't know the answer.
For example, I have bred African Housesnakes which layed up to 6 clutches per year. I have seen a female lay three fertile clutches after a single mating (I believe Neil Ford has recorded 5!).
So when these Housesnakes lay their second, third, fourth clutch from one mating, do the females ovulate again and use stored sperm to fertilize?
Or are the fertilized zygotes waiting in some sort of diapause state?
The latter explanation seems more likely to me.
-----
Chris Harrison
San Antonio, Texas

Uhhhh, no post!!!!

But I did include a favorite off topic pic of mine

-----
Tom

"The more people I meet, the more I like my snakes"