Contributing factors

[andyroof1979]

To small clutches, is there any ryhme or reason you can get small clutches. I just got my first BP eggs and i got 2 good, 1 boob (95% good looking), and 3 slugs.

My female is about 1400 grams and was paired with my lemonblast for at least 25 locks, they were quite into each other. I did have a mite problem in the middle of the breeding season. But I am curious if any outside factors contribute to small (viability wise) clutches. I would have been tickled pink for 6 good eggs, kinda dissapointing to get 2 good 1 maybe and 3 duds

[andyroof1979]

[andyroof1979]

Nobody??

[Joe balls]

How did you treat for the mites? Toxic?
How were temps? Fluctuations? Or loss of power at some time?
congrats on the good eggs though!

[C2tcardin]

Isn't 1400 grams kind of small for a girl to be breeding? Was this her first clutch?

[MS2]

Isn't 1400 grams kind of small for a girl to be breeding? Was this her first clutch?

She should be double that. That would be a good reason for small clutches. Then again, last season I had a 5,000 gram+ female last 7 eggs....only 2 were good.

[Albert Clark]

I thought the 1400gm weight was a bit small too as the acceptable weight minimum I think is 1500 gms. So actually not that far off. Was she really healthy outside of the mites? How was the husbandry? Did the female stop eating during the gravid period? I am not so sure how the mites affected her or your treatment of the mites did. Yeah, but congrats on the viable eggs and the whole effort. Can't wait to see what those hatchlings look like. Good luck Andyroof!

[Stewart_Reptiles]

Breeding is more than just weight I have paired 1200 grams females who have laid 6 eggs ion the past, why? Because the were 4 years and probably would not be big females anyway, one I still have she is 8 and only 1600 grams......not all females become monsters some stay small.

Sure in most cases the bigger the better (that are I do it) but both age and size must be taken in consideration.

Again I have had 1200 grams females laying 6 perfect eggs while I have had 3+ years females 2000+ grams slug out.

Slugs happen, sometimes there is a reason sometimes there is not one that can be truly pin pointed, partially slugging out also happen.

[Alicia]

Jeez, I'm sorry for the iffy luck. Fingers crossed for the good eggies!

The best physiological explanation I've read for what causes slugs (at the most basic, omitting the "cause of the cause" level), is that the female ovulates before some or all of the follicles are mature. The Barkers bring it up, I've seen other sources bring it up as well. And, just from what I know about how eggs develop, I do agree with that. . . . Then, of course, what do you do with that

When everything goes right, and I'm just guessing after a long day, it's when the female is good condition (for her, as an individual) and her hormones are correct, and all systems are communicating normally. The follicles are reaching maturity together and send the "Hey, we're good to go!" signal at the right time. They have matured, her hormones peak, the follicles exit the ovaries, and the female correspondingly begins the process of moving them into her oviducts. This is the posture we see and, as I think about it now, I wonder if it's a response to the sensation of follicles being ovulated.

When something (small or large) goes awry, some or all of the follicles are released before they are mature enough to accept a male gamete, grow functional blood vessels and a shell, whatever. To be honest, as someone waiting for a female to either ovulate or resorb right now, I think stress has a pretty big effect. I've heard of handling a female or feeding her too large a meal triggering ovy. . . . Maybe physical manipulation can force follicles to rapture prematurely. A very nervous female might be triggered into early ovy by constantly being checked on. Temperatures that are too warm seem to be cited a lot, and that makes since. The Barkers, and others, bring up obesity as a cause for premature ovy -- which makes sense, as visceral especially can change hormone levels in vertebrates. Toxins definitely can.

Unfortunately, I'm sure there are a lot of factors beyond keeper control, too. Light levels, phases of the moon, barometric pressure tricking a female into just going for it when a few of her kids aren't ready. FWIW, it does seem as though more people report slugs in dramatic weather years. Maybe a snake managing a low-level infection of some kind will be more likely to throw slugs. Some snakes might be prone to reacting to pheromones of other snakes in a collection. Unlikely, but, hey. I'll toss it out there. Almost anything is worth looking at.

[tacticalveterinarian]

There are so many factors that can influence clutch size and fertility of eggs- including genetics, nutrition, maturity/body condition of the female, male sperm morphology/motility, and the timing of breeding/ovulation. Environmental factors such as poor husbandry/illness/parasites, stress, temperature, photoperiod, and changes in barometric pressure may also play a role.