Susan
Go Ahead, Make My Day!
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.
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.