Riddle Me This....

So I was feeding my kids today. I opened one of my normal females bins all ready to feed her when I noticed she was coiled up like a mother would with her eggs. I pulled the bin out further and looked underneath. SHE LAID EGGS!!! Ummmm ok???? I never paired her with any male this season. WTF???? I paired her with my Pastel Pied from December 2015 into March of 2016. She laid 8 eggs last summer but I wanted to get her back up to weight for 2017/2018 season. I can't imagine this is a common occurrence. Could it be retained sperm? I have no clue. Thanks.

We're they fertile? If so only 2 things could have happened. Retained sperm( most likely) or parthenogenesis ( very unlikely)

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There are 8 eggs. 3 small slugs. 2 regular size with no veins at all. 3 with veins. Weird.

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Originally Posted by CeeJay

There are 8 eggs. 3 small slugs. 2 regular size with no veins at all. 3 with veins. Weird.

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Retained sperm is most likely. Grats.

Probably retained sperm, it can last a few years.

That said I first thought going by the title this thread was to do with the myths of the fae and the fetch associated with them as traditionally the rhyme goes along the lines of:

Riddle me questions,
Riddle me rhymes,
Riddle me swiftly,
I've said it three times.
By threes and by custom you dare not deny.
I bind you to answer and compel your reply.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by CeeJay

So I was feeding my kids today. I opened one of my normal females bins all ready to feed her when I noticed she was coiled up like a mother would with her eggs. I pulled the bin out further and looked underneath. SHE LAID EGGS!!! Ummmm ok???? I never paired her with any male this season. WTF???? I paired her with my Pastel Pied from December 2015 into March of 2016. She laid 8 eggs last summer but I wanted to get her back up to weight for 2017/2018 season. I can't imagine this is a common occurrence. Could it be retained sperm? I have no clue. Thanks.

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While usually females retaining sperm are females that have not laid eggs the previous season I have heard of one case years ago of a female that did lay eggs and the next year laid eggs again without being paired. Usually it's something you can see with some colubrids they can double clutch even if not reintroduced to a male after the first clutch.