Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Well, My female white-sided yellow dropped a sencond clutch of eggs on July 31. One was really bad looking and the remaining seven look decent, but for some reason I'm inclined to think they're infertile.

Some questions:

1) How common is a second clutch with no further breeding (the pair was separated after her first pre-lay shed)?

2) For those that have experienced second clutches without further breeding, what was the fertility rate?

3) As I wasn't expecting a second clutch--and the fact that she didn't look gravid--meant there was no nest box. She laid in her hide on aspen. I got to them the next morning (no idea exactly when they were laid). The temps were probably in the low to mid seventies. Are they ruined?

As ever, thanks for your help.

Well if nothing else you should learn from this to leave a egg box in for 2-3 months after egg laying. It gives the drained female comfort and also the higher humidity is good for their health as they try to gain back their pre-lay condition. I notice many females soaking after egg laying if I pul the box. Also they go into a rapid shed cycle that the box would aid after laying. So....

As for the eggs, set them up and see how it goes. I had a clutch of 14 laid dry, drop down to 9 and now just before they should be hatching I am losing 2 more, from the way it looks. On the bright side the female looked good so I fed her really heavy and she just drop 16 eggs with only two slugs as a second clutch!! Which were in her nest box by the way.

Oh yeah I almost forgot!! I also check over the girls after their post lay shed and the follow up shed to see if they are gravid on the weird chance that I am missing them being gravid (this one I was) and to make sure the nest box is good to go if they are. If you check after their shed you should notice at the second pre-lay shed that she is gravid.

Jason

I agree with everything Jason said. As for the issue of how uncommon it is, I would say it isn't the norm but it isn't a rare occurrence. I had it happen last year with one of my 2 Everglades females. Her second clutch was 12 but only 4 hatched.

I've heard of milks laying fertile clutches a season after being bred, so I'm sure elaphe can retain for a few months. Temps shouldn't have affected them, so long as they did not dry out they should be ok incubating with 100% humidity. Good luck!
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