Proving Dominant Traits

[RandyRemington]

Now I'm wishing I'd cared to learn more about python reproduction. Are we sure what we call "ovulation" and "follicles" are really correctly labeled?

For one I've heard that it's no use breeding any more after "ovulation". Could that few hour window when your ball python looks like she swallowed a football be more to do with producing the big white egg than releasing the egg cells? Also, I just assumed that the "follicles" that some breeders palpitate grew into the actual egg masses, eventually getting shelled somewhere along the way (maybe at "ovulation"?). I always hear the sizes of follicles in metric and never tried to feel them myself so maybe I'm overestimating how big "follicles" get but seems like a terrible waste to produce a large object just for each egg cell and then to start over producing an even larger object to put the fertilized egg cell into to become the actual egg.

Basically I’m wondering if the follicles that can be counted are actually egg starts that get matched up with fertilized egg cells at some later point giving the homozygous spiders the chance to die before consuming a follicle.

[paulh]

I have no idea whether what we call "ovulation" and "follicles" are really correctly labeled. I've never bred ball pythons and have never considered that I have successfully palpated any of the snakes I have bred.

An egg cell develops inside a follicle and cannot be fertilized there. Once the egg leaves the follicle, it can be fertilized. The egg shell forms around the egg. Sperm cannot get through the egg shell. Either the shell contains a fertile egg which will produce a hatchling (if all goes well) or an infertile egg (a slug).

When you crack open a chicken egg, the yolk is the actual egg cell. That is what leaves the follicle in the ovary. Most of the chicken eggs we buy in the store are not fertilized, though.

IMO, if the homozygous spider genotype is lethal, death happens sometime between the egg leaving the follicle and sexual maturity of the hatchling. There might be some fault that prevents the spider sperm from pentrating the spider egg, so a normal sperm wins the seminal sweepstakes. Or death could happen after fertilization. Your guess is as good as mine.

[Anatopism]

When you crack open a chicken egg, the yolk is the actual egg cell. That is what leaves the follicle in the ovary. Most of the chicken eggs we buy in the store are not fertilized, though.

Chicken eggs are bizarre! If you get the free-range chicken eggs from many grocery stores (different from the mass produced eggs that most people are familiar with), even if they've been in the fridge for a few days, some are likely to be fertilized, and if incubated correctly, still have a good chance of surviving. Keep them in the fridge, and you will be none the wiser that you are eating a fertilized or non fertilized egg.

but back to herps...
I am also not as familiar with the fine details and inner workings of python reproduction. I know intuitively about how far along they are based off of their behavior, size, appetite, and color, but do not know much about exactly what's going on inside. Something I hope to learn more about once I get myself back to finish a degree