Hi Jonrice, I had several opportunities to dig up recently laid eggs, but I could not get myself to interfere with nesting. Cacacals discussion about vascular development is with Gregg. I have studied this, as well as Gregg, and Gregg is right, Egg deposited close to fertilization, have no vascular system. This is true, and you can do it. If you or anyone would look, or want to look, it becomes very easy to understand and common sense. The size of the embryo is directly related to fertilization, in colubrids. Some species utilize diapause. Which is delayed or slowed development. This is normally a tactic to time hatching at optimal times. Like the wet season. Hogs do not utilize diapause. Fertilization occurs near the time of shedding.
Gregg is also right about the greater the development, the more
support is required from the female. Hognose do not appear to have the ability to hold eggs for extended periods. With hogs here, egg laying occurs at just before the start of the monsoon season, end of june beginning of july. There are many reasons for this, one, the earth is bone dry up until the rains start, and two. Other herps are also laying at this time, both lizards and toads. The hatchling hogs must hatch at the time of abundant prey the size they can consume. Their natural reproductive approach is all about timing and is CRICTICAL. No neonate lizards or toadlets, no hognose survival. Its simple and common knowledge.
The actual time they can hold the eggs is variable, in nature, they can control development by picking cooler temps. In most cases, we have to use captivity to as a comparison. In this case, wild hogs, and judge the effect and weight loss. Wild hogs do not show any negative effects from nesting, No neck mass loss, no excess water loss, only the loss of internal body fat.
In captivity, how long they can hold the eggs is based on temps. Just like in nature.pt1

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