Quote Originally Posted by Loft Lizard View Post
I know they will combat... but I have also heard (8ball mentioned this in another thread) that they will breed each other as a sign of dominance.
I know little about breeding snakes other than what I’ve read here and on other forums, so this statement very much intrigued me.

Question: is this phenomena something that is observed as a constant and a rule, or is it something that is observed only occasionally or even rarely?

I ask because the study of sexuality is something I find fascinating. For over a century the mainstream scientific community turned a blind eye to the existence of various forms of sexual orientation within the family animalia, chalking the occasionally observed instances of non-heterosexual relations as ‘confusion,' ‘dominance behavior’, et al. even when observed among species that pare-bond for life, in habitats with an abundance of available opposite-gender partners.

A great book on this topic, sourcing hundreds of observed and verified international case studies spanning over a century, is: Biological Exuberance, by noted biologist Bruce Bagemihl. There are several reptiles mentioned, from lizards to snakes.

Just to be clear, I am not suggesting that all instances of non-heterosexual behavior are automatically signs of a variance in sexual orientation.