egg laying q's

[mommanessy247]

do females lay eggs even if they are not bred with a male? just curious...

[seeya205]

No they won't produce eggs unless a male is present and will not lay eggs if they have not mated with a male!

[j_h_smith]

Not neccessarily true. There is a medical name for it, but I can't think of it right now. A female can also retain sperm for seasons, then lay fertile eggs.

Jim Smith

[dr del]

Hi,

Parthenogenesis.


dr del

[j_h_smith]

Thank you, I just couldn't remember that.

Jim Smith

[seeya205]

They retain sperm for up to 6 months but not if they have never been with a male! I had bought a scorpion that was huge(I just wanted the biggest one in the store) and 8 months later, she had babies! They can retain sperm for up to a year!

[WingedWolfPsion]

I don't think parthenogenesis has been documented in ball pythons.

However, sometimes unmated females will lay 'slugs'--poorly calcified, infertile eggs. It seems to be rare, though.

[Foschi Exotic Serpents]

Not neccessarily true. There is a medical name for it, but I can't think of it right now. A female can also retain sperm for seasons, then lay fertile eggs.

Jim Smith

Hes absolutely right. I wish I could remember which zoo but there is one that has a burmese which has laid fertile eggs which hatched. More than once too. This snake is a long time resident of the zoo and was never with a male. The babies were tested and found to be genetic duplicates (clones) of the mother. It was thought that only certain lizards could do this.

Nature will always find a way

Found an old thread on here about it!

http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s...t=31973&page=2

[Kaorte]

Hes absolutely right. I wish I could remember which zoo but there is one that has a burmese which has laid fertile eggs which hatched. More than once too. This snake is a long time resident of the zoo and was never with a male. The babies were tested and found to be genetic duplicates (clones) of the mother. It was thought that only certain lizards could do this.

Nature will always find a way

Found an old thread on here about it!

http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s...t=31973&page=2

Whaoh...that is crazy!!