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Hognose Snake - Egg-laying without mate?

Kusanagi Feb 16, 2007 03:03 PM

Hey everybody, I have a question about my two-and-a-half foot Western Hognose Snake, who appears to be female as she now has laid three eggs in total. They are severely discolored and I doubt any of them will hatch, but as I'm sure you're well aware, breeding can be a health hazard in excess, especially since the methods in which I care for my snakes is not designed at all for breeding; I dont have the equipment necessary to accomodate for the eggs.

The corn snakes in the cage nearby have done the same thing, but the explanation for that is obvious: one horny male and two females. Both the females have twice laid eggs, and the only one who hasnt is presumably the male. The hognose, however, is not only a completely different species but is also completely separated from every other snake in the collection. She is fed frozen mice once a week, and the temperature is normally about 85 during the day and around 73-74 at night. There is no possible way she could have mated with another snake...

I've had this snake for three or four years, since it was virtually a hatchling. I severely doubt that she copulated with a male that long ago and just now is using the genetic material she stored in her cloaca. Am I witnessing asexual reproduction?

Replies (2)

Dillybird Feb 16, 2007 06:42 PM

No. Some female snakes lay eggs with or without male input. The eggs are not fertile.

Nanci
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*****
0.0.1 Classic Corn, 0.0.1 Cali King, 0.1 Nelson's Milk
1.0 Tricolor Hog, 0.0.1 Eastern Hog, 1.0 Florida King
1.0 Eastern Box Turtle, 1.0 Florida Box Turtle
0.0.2 Desert Torts, 2.0 Feral Pigeons

markg Feb 16, 2007 06:55 PM

Sounds like the eggs are infertile by your description. It would have been awesome if they were fertile.

Although I don't know about how often this has occurred with hognose, it has been reported with kingsnakes and cornsnakes and other snakes as well. Certainly an uncommon event nevertheless.

I think you should give that snake lots of food to make up for depleted resources. I say, all she'll eat for a few weeks. If once a week is all she really wants, OK, but if she'll eat more, then do it, at least for awhile.
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Mark

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