How Common is Sperm Retention?

[PythonChick]

I have a female I think may be about to lay eggs. She is a good eater, and hasn't been interested in food for 3.5-4 months. She is looking lighter in color than normal, and spent a lot of time hanging out on the cold side and bowl wrapping prior to a shed about 27 days ago. Yesterday I got home from a long weekend trip to find her sitting in a perfect coil on the warm side, tail in the middle, looking a bit lumpy.

Here is the thing.... The last time she was bred was last year in January or February.

Soo... my question is: If it turns out she is preggers, what are the odds of me getting viable, fertilized eggs? Also, how often does something like this happen? I would love to hear other people's stories of having this sort of thing happen.

Thanks!

[Freakie_frog]

I had it happen for the first time last year. Bred a female to a Lesser, she bred all season then laid egg's 7 of them. When they hatched turned out they were Mojo's after looking back through my records it seems I had bred her the year before to a mojo..So there you have it.

that's why females that get a male recessive get the next year off to make sure that they produce what I think they are.