With respect to some female boas producing slugs, consider the following: Of the 9 gravid females I maintained this summer, three were captive bred and 6 were gravid when captured. The three captive bred females produced their litters first with one female producing 8 neonates, another 4, and the third female produced two neonates plus two 'slugs'. Both slugs appeared to have been fertilized but arrested early before any embryos had developed.

Of the 6 gravid females from the wild, one has yet to produce her litter. Of the other 5, four produced healthy neonates but the 5th female was captured June 29th. well after ovulation, fertilization, and the onset of gestation had commenced. That female produced one stunted neonate and 5 slugs that appeared not to have been fertilized.

In years past, I have captured gravid female in August that during parturition, produced slugs. So it should be understood that although conditions of confinement likely will produce problems with some captive bred females, the evidence I have recorded indicates that similar situations of passing 'slugs' sometimes occur in the wild as well.

Richard F. Hoyer

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