Copulation but no eggs

This is the second time this has happened to me. Last year, a first-time female of 3 years of age was bred with a proven male. I witnessed both copulations that were 3 days apart and observed the yellow "spooge" on the newspaper substrate both times. It was the first mating of the season for the male so he shouldn't have been depleted of sperm and he produced fertile eggs in later pairings with other females last year. The female was readily receptive during both matings. She appeared to gain weight and girth, shed when expected and stayed in the nest box during the expected amount of time until about a week past her last expected date to lay. She then came out and was looking for food. I left the nest box with her for an additional 4 weeks. She never laid eggs, not even slugs. This year, she was bred to the same male and laid a nice fertile clutch.

But again this year, a different female (proven breeder of 6 years of age) was bred to a proven male. Same witnessed copulations as last year, same signs of successful mating, same behaviors in the female, male was bred to a female 2 weeks prior to and to another a week after this female and produced fertile eggs in both, and it is now 4 weeks past the expected lay dates...no eggs, no slugs and the female is eating again.

Does anyone have any possible explainations as to why not even slugs were laid?

Last year, I tried to breed that female after her next shed since it was still considered breeding season (mid-May) and other females were still breeding. She refused all males. I'll try this year's female again after her next shed, which should be fairly soon, in hopes of a fertile clutch, but I'm not going to hold my breath.

Hi,

It sounds to me as tho your females simply did not ovulate. This can happen when the animal does not have the body weight to have eggs.
If a female skips a year, it is usually nothing to worry about. My bet is the female that skips one year will breed the following year and lay eggs. Assuming no health issues come up.
I wouldn't worry to much as this happens to all breeders at one time or another.

Take Care!!
Warren

A Surprising Update!

My snakes must be talking with my chidren on the best ways to drive me crazy! This female shed on the 18th. I tried for a mating on the 21st, but neither snake seemed at all interested. Went to put them together again yesterday and BAM!...she had laid a clutch the night before! There were 10 eggs but only 1 was fertile. Seems she had retained some sperm from the previous mating where she didn't ovulate. I'm pretty lucky to have gotten the one egg since the male she was bred to is new to me and, so far, hasn't proven to be overly fertile...alot of slugs and only several fertile eggs in the other 2 clutches he fathered. The other 2 females he was bred to are first-timers so I'm hoping that may also be contributing to the poor success rate.

Well, better one than none.

Hey Susan,

Well, good luck w/ the eggs you do have!!!
If I may suggest, (and you haven't tried already) make sure to hibernate this male as close to 55 degrees as possible this Winter for a couple of months. If you decide to try him again next year and he has a high infertility rate, I would try and find another male.
When you get low fertility from one female you say, Well, missed the window somehow, DARN!! But if several females breed to the same male have low fertility rates, well.......
Email back when you get babies. I think we all would love to hear your story.

Take care!!
Warren