Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Here is a quick group shot of my first 5 hatchling New Mexico milks. All males. The sixth is still working it's way out of the egg.

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Greg Jackson

All males

Though the odds are against it, it happens. I had a similar clutch of multistrata this year!

-Cole

It's strange. I've had the most unusual sex ratios

2010 all male Celaenops
2009 5.1 Sulfur/lavender Fla kings
2009 4.1 western hogs
2008 12.1 western hogs
2007 2.11 western hogs
2007 1.4 chain kings

Whatever happened to 50/50 averages? I can't seem to hit a happy medium.
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Greg Jackson

I hear ya! I've got a pair of Thomas Co., NE multistrata that have produced an entire 3 males for me over the years! Many females, few males. While some hobbyists suggest that you can skew the sex ratios of milks, kings, corns, etc. by altering incubation temperatures, I strongly disagree. Most Colubrids, and the Lampropeltini clade included, have identifiable sex chromosomes, just like we do (though they use a different system - the ZW system). Pretty interesting stuff.

Regardless of the sex ratio, you've produced some nice hatchlings! Congrats!

-Cole

thanx Cole....the 6th finally hatched last night...another male. I have wondered (strictly based on purely anecdotal evidence) if sex determination was at all influenced by anything other than a determinate sex chromosone, and had always heard that it wasn't. But with my ratios, I wondered. Anyway, I am so thrilled with them. My first milksnake babies. Hognoses and kings are due soon.
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Greg Jackson