Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hey
I'm a fairly seasoned snake keeper, keeping a trio of corn snakes and a sinaloan milk. i usually dont post b/c i havent had a real need to but this question popped into my head and i'm hoping someone has an answer.
I was looking in my biology book and it showed a diagram of snake anatomy. Of course, a female snake has ovaries and oviducts (left and right). My question is, when a female snake cycles in a given season does she ovulate from only one or both ovaries? I know that the live-bearing snakes ovulate from both but i"m more concerned with the egg-layers. It would seem logical to me they would rotate ovaries in a given year, b/c if a female ovulated from both ovaries at once she would have fertilized eggs in both oviducts, and that would make one hell of a fat snake! this isnt a big deal just a question I thought of and couldn't find the answer to anywhere. being a biology major these things fascinate me sometimes.
anyways if anybody knows the answer i'd be happy to know. i've already posted on the [bleep] forums and nobody knew the answer.

Thanks
Jcam

There really isn't a pat answer for this question because the reproductive physiology differes from species to species. In most snakes, the right oviduct is the primary ovary with the left oviduct being greatly reduced and in some cases absent. In snakes that possess a functioning left oviduct, most offspring will be produced in the right oviduct. The oviducts can be broken down into 5 different sections or regions, the infundibulum, tuba uterina,isthmus, uterus and vagina. The oviducts are attached to the doesal wall by mesotubaria. The oviduct itself is comprised of three layers, starting from the outermost layer: the tunica serosa (perimetrium), the tunica muscularis (myometrium), and the tunica mucosa (endometrium). Blood supply is provided by the outer layer. The eggs are moved down the oviduct by peristalsis from the musculature in the middle layer, stimulated by estrogen production during vitellogenisis. Cilial cells in the innermost layer assist movement of spermatazoa to the fertilization site.

Hey OldHerper
Thanks for the clarification. I really appreciate the information about the way the oviduct functions; it was something I was wondering about.

JCam01