my corn snake just laid more eggs after four months! why?

Question

my corn snake was with a male during the month of february. she is back in her own tank now. i think it was may when she laid a couple of clusters of eggs. i caught it too late and the eggs didnt' make it. well, it is july, and my corn snake has been laying individual eggs for the past 24 hours. why is that? do you think that there will be babies?

Answer 1

Many females double clutch and usually will lay a second clutch around the time that the first clutch would have hatched. Such as now. It's possible that these eggs are indeed fertile and as such should be incubated. Cornsnake eggs are not particular about much and can be incubated in a plastic tub with perlite or vermiculite as a medium and placed in a warm spot that averages around 80 degrees. I recommend perlite over vermiculite as you have less chance of accidently putting in too much water and drowning eggs. Enough water should be placed in the perlite to allow it to clump together if you squeeze it. Holes are not required in the lid as eggs use very little oxygen. If you feel you need to, you can open the lid a bit every week or two to allow fresh air in. Bury the eggs (if they are clumped, leave them like that) so that they are almost completely covered. Do not turn eggs! They must remain in the aspect they were laid or you will kill the embryo. Place on top of a t.v., stereo, a high shelf where it's warm and leave them alone. After about 64-72 days they should hatch, depending upon the temperature they stay at. I incubated mine at 80 degrees and they hatched between 64-69 days with 100% hatch out. Second clutches aren't always fertile though, so you might not have anything. Slugs look small, slimey and yellow. Fertile eggs are white and dry. If you're not certain, incubate them all and remove any that mold completely.

Answer 2

It's called double -clutching and many healthy females will lay a second clutch later in the summer. It tends to be slightly smaller then the first with a little lower fertility rate but yes, they will be fertile from her initial breeding in the season.

Answer 3

female corns have been known to store semen for up to a year, and lay fertile eggs.