REPRODUCTION IN THE LONGNOSE SNAKE, RHINOCHEILUS LECONTEI(SERPENTES: COLUBRIDAE)

摘要

Reproductive tissue was examined from 275 museum specimens of Rhinocheilus lecontei from the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. Males Follow a seasonal testicular cycle with sperm produced July-October; regressed testes were Present March-July. Males with recrudescent testes were present April-August. Breeding Presumably occurs in spring although sperm was present in the vasa deferentia during all Months examined. Females with enlarged ovarian follicles (>12 mm length) or oviductal Eggs were present April-July. Mean clutch size for 20 R. lecontei females was 6.1±2.1 SD, range=3-11. Clutch size of 11 appears to be a maximum clutch size record. The Reproductive cycle of R. lecontei fits the aestival (summer) and postnuptial category of Saint Girons (1982) in which sperm are stored throughout the winter in the vas deferens.