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Double Clutching
Maybe a stupid question: Has anyone experienced Double Clutching in ball Pythons?
I know that when I was breeding Colubrids, I would get Double Clutches from my Corns and Kings, and even once a triple clutch from a King.
I was just wondering if it has ever happened in BP's.
I mean true double clutching, where the female has only been bred to a male once, and then produces two clutches of eggs.
No mating between the clutches being laid.
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In the Colubrid sense, no, they don't double clutch. Eggs are a huge investment for any female snake, but pythons are then intended by nature to brood their eggs for another two months until they hatch. They don't have the reserves to throw multiple clutches. After laying, a female BP bears a strong resemblance to a deflated bicycle tire -- the concave belly then is used to efficiently cradle the eggs, in the case of Maternal Incubation.
That said . . . They will retain sperm from pairings and, under some conditions, use it to reproduce without subsequent re-breeding in following seasons. I had it happen in my collection. My first ever breeding was a Pastel to a Black Pastel. She laid eggs in 2010. She wasn't bred again, as I was working my on my Pieds, but went on to ovulate and lay a clutch of eight fertile eggs again in 2013. I believe one or two other folks on here have had similar clutches happen. Not to mention retained sperm babies in clutches otherwise sired by a new male.
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The Following User Says Thank You to Alicia For This Useful Post:
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There is no double clutching BP, by the time you get your female back on track, by the time she gain her weight back + more, by the time she is ready herself (some will even take the next season off), it will be a new season.
They are not colubrids and they will not lay eggs a second time during the same season without introduction of a male like some colubrids do.
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The Following User Says Thank You to Stewart_Reptiles For This Useful Post:
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Thank You both for the feedback. Much appreciated.
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