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  1. #1
    Registered User das_nooblet's Avatar
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    Question about infertile eggs

    When going to fee my corn snake tonight, I found 8 infertile eggs scattered around her tank. I know they were infertile as the last time she was anywhere near another corn was 6.5 years ago, at the tender age of 8 weeks old

    The same thing last year, around the time of a 4-month hunger strike, though there were only 4 eggs that time.

    Her temps and overall enclosure have remained constant, with nothing out of the ordinary.

    Is there anything I should be watching out for, besides getting her back up to a healthy weight? Should I be worried about calcium supplements of some sort? That could prove problematic as she will only eat live mice

    I have to go see my vet tomorrow for something non-herp unrelated anyways, but figured I'd ask here as well as I've gotten good help & advice in the past.

    Thanks in advance
    Last edited by das_nooblet; 03-04-2022 at 10:22 PM.
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  2. #2
    BPnet Lifer Albert Clark's Avatar
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    Re: Question about infertile eggs

    Well, the retained sperm phenomenon has been well documented. Also parthenogenesis as well. Personally I incubate everything until proven otherwise. I believe if she’s feeding on adult mice her calcium levels will return to normal levels over time. Corn snakes being diurnal should have photo periods of artificial lighting or natural daylight. Were the eggs really discolored and or misshapen? Did you “candle “ them? Sorry for the loss.
    Last edited by Albert Clark; 03-04-2022 at 10:48 PM.
    Stay in peace and not pieces.

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  4. #3
    Bogertophis's Avatar
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    Don't try to supplement her food, as it most likely won't have the correct balance for her body to use anyway- just feed her well, & make SURE there are no retained eggs.

    And just so you know- you might read up on "parthenogenesis" in snakes. I have some 14.5 -year-old c/b Florida rat snakes that have never bred- at least, not as long as I've had them (they were about 1.5 years old when I got them), yet every year the 2 females lay double-clutches of what I assumed were infertile eggs, until 2 years ago when I got curious & incubated the ones that looked good. I've bred some rat snakes in the past & know good eggs when I candle them. While most of the eggs that looked good at first or for a while ultimately went bad, I now have THREE more rat snakes that I never planned to have, because 3 of those "infertile" eggs actually HATCHED! Just saying... Some snakes are determined to reproduce, & fyi, reproduction via parthenogenesis can have more defects*- it's basically a "Hail Mary" pass to reproduce if there's no mates available to keep the species around. (*And this was obvious in the eggs that only made it part-way but failed to hatch- I opened them.)
    Last edited by Bogertophis; 03-04-2022 at 10:58 PM.
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  6. #4
    Registered User das_nooblet's Avatar
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    Re: Question about infertile eggs

    Quote Originally Posted by Albert Clark View Post
    Well, the retained sperm phenomenon has been well documented. Also parthenogenesis as well. Personally I incubate everything until proven otherwise. I believe if she’s feeding on adult mice her calcium levels will return to normal levels over time. Corn snakes being diurnal should have photo periods of artificial lighting or natural daylight. Were the eggs really discolored and or misshapen? Did you “candle “ them? Sorry for the loss.
    Didn't think to candle them. Just now checked the 5 I kept for educational purposes (the others were very misshapen), and 3 had some dis-coloration inside, but no indication whatsoever of veins or anything else in there.

    All my snakes have their lights set on timers

    Quote Originally Posted by Bogertophis View Post
    Don't try to supplement her food, as it most likely won't have the correct balance for her body to use anyway- just feed her well, & make SURE there are no retained eggs.

    And just so you know- you might read up on "parthenogenesis" in snakes. I have some 14.5 -year-old c/b Florida rat snakes that have never bred- at least, not as long as I've had them (they were about 1.5 years old when I got them), yet every year the 2 females lay double-clutches of what I assumed were infertile eggs, until 2 years ago when I got curious & incubated the ones that looked good. I've bred some rat snakes in the past & know good eggs when I candle them. While most of
    She's rather feisty at the moment, so I'll try checking her in the morning when she's (hopefully) calmer and less stressed. At a glance, she doesn't seem to have any obvious bulges, and is now looking somewhat underweight (no surprise, she was on the smaller side for a corn even without making eggs)

    Have heard of parthenogenesis before, but I've never had any intention of breeding so I guess it just never occurred to me that it could happen to one of my snakes. Will have to keep a closer eye on her from now on
    Last edited by das_nooblet; 03-05-2022 at 12:07 AM.
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    Re: Question about infertile eggs

    Quote Originally Posted by das_nooblet View Post
    ...She's rather feisty at the moment, so I'll try checking her in the morning when she's (hopefully) calmer and less stressed. At a glance, she doesn't seem to have any obvious bulges, and is now looking somewhat underweight (no surprise, she was on the smaller side for a corn even without making eggs)

    Have heard of parthenogenesis before, but I've never had any intention of breeding so I guess it just never occurred to me that it could happen to one of my snakes. Will have to keep a closer eye on her from now on
    After my large rat snakes lay their huge clutches of eggs (they've had as many as 27 eggs per clutch), they don't eat for some days, not until after they've rested & re-hydrated. They seem to know what they need- they have very large water bowls they soak in for days. When they get hungry, they let me know, & "make up for lost time" very effectively. You might offer your corn snake a large bowl of water to soak in, if she doesn't already have that available. It might improve her mood- laying eggs takes a lot out of snakes. But do check no matter what, to make sure all eggs are "out"; if any eggs are left inside, a vet can help most effectively only when not too much time has elapsed since she laid the other eggs.

    When I bred & raised corn snakes some years back, one of my young females only bred once, but laid fertile eggs for FIVE years without ever mating again. Nature is full of surprises, eh?

    When it comes to snakes reproducing, our "intentions" don't always match theirs...
    Rudeness is the weak man's imitation of strength.
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  10. #6
    BPnet Lifer Albert Clark's Avatar
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    Re: Question about infertile eggs

    You said the female corn snake hasn’t been with another corn snake in 6 and a half years and that she was 8 weeks old. So that leads me to believe she was too young for the retained sperm phenomenon. It’s more likely to have laid these eggs based on the parthenogenesis effect. Always treat any egg as viable and incubate it with a high index of suspicion after you candle them. Sometimes it’s very apparent that a egg is infertile but just be extra vigilant. I’ve seen some reptiles come out of some strange and weird looking eggs. Candle everything and incubate until proven otherwise.
    Stay in peace and not pieces.

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  12. #7
    BPnet Lifer Albert Clark's Avatar
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    Re: Question about infertile eggs

    This little 100% het pied female came out of a very tiny egg. I was surprised that it made it the whole 60 day incubation period. I wish I had a photo of the egg clutch to show you. However you can see how tiny she is! She was the first to shed and the first to take a meal out of all her siblings. Unfortunately, we found out later that she was blind in one eye. She’s thriving today in a new home. Candle everything and incubate with a high index of suspicion always. She was very special and had a irregularly reduced pattern. That’s a water bottle cap if you can imagine how small she was.
    Last edited by Albert Clark; 03-05-2022 at 10:21 AM. Reason: Addition to description.
    Stay in peace and not pieces.

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  14. #8
    Registered User das_nooblet's Avatar
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    Checked Koko this morning, and no signs on any retained eggs. Though I did find one more egg (saw nothing on candling it) buried in her bedding that I missed

    Thanks again for the info & advice
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