An interesting observation - Receptive females?

[Stefan-A]

Something interesting happened this evening and I would like to hear if anybody else here has observed female garters behaving this way.

As one or two of you may know, I can divide one of my enclosures into two parts. I had temporarily housed all females (2 vagrans, 1 tetrataenia) in one half and the male vagrans in the other. Tonight I moved the male to an enclosure of its own and took down the wall that had previously separated the females from the male.

That's when the vagrans females flipped out.

They started rubbing their cloacas all over the place. Against the substrate, the walls, the water dish, the fake plants, even the glass doors. I'm not kidding. Both vagrans females started doing it, but not the tetrataenia. Seriously, they behaved a lot like courting males. Jerky movements, they arced their tails (they didn't lift them like they do when they're about to defecate) and when one of them was busy rubbing itself against the glass, I noticed that the cloaca was wide open. In fact, I could have sworn that I saw light at the other end. I tried to film it, but they stopped every time I got close enough.

For a moment I was freaking out, thinking they were having seizures, but it started the minute I took down the wall and they seemed to have complete control over it and they stopped doing it when I fed them. So it must have something to do with the scent of the male in the area they didn't have access to before.

Just when you think you've got the snakes figured out, they come up with something new.

[Sid]

I have had that happen only once with a female Eastern, Stefan. Really odd to watch.

[guidofatherof5]

Wow,
That male must have know the girls were on the other side and left them a love letter. Doesn't look like the wall could stop the pheromones. I've never seen that kind of reaction from any of my snakes.

[infernalis]

Stefan, I have never witnessed such behavior in any of my snakes.

Always had assumed that the ladies were the ones to cause reactions like this in the males?

I have witnessed similar behaviour in mammals (females in heat) but NEVER in any reptile species.

That was one of the most interesting things I have read this week.

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

It must have been the scent of that male!!!! I have seen many a female garter arc their tail when they are receptive. As for the wide open cloacas... I've seen a few of them open them but never really looked too much into it, figuratively or literally as in your case!!! just kind of assumed it's something they do when its breeding season... (kind of like the way my moms ANNOYING female maine coone cat is in heat and walks around meowing all day and arcs its butt into the air)... at least thats what if reminds me of!!!!

[anji1971]

Very interesting, Stefan.
I remember last spring when I found the Butler's garter. I put his tank right next to Deejay's, and though she didn't have the "open cloaca" thing going, she did get a bit crazy for a long while, busily climbing and rubbing her body on the glass facing the male. She looked like she was desperately trying to get over to his tank. I wondered at the time if it was pheromones that she was picking up on, as he was a wild snake just out of brumation, and probably on the hunt. I'd actually forgotten about the whole incident until I read your post. Something worth keeping an eye out for..........

[drache]

very interesting
must have been cool to watch too

[jitami]

That is very interesting... and does remind me of a female dog in heat... cool...

[adamanteus]

Fascinating observation, Stefan. A real insight. Hopefully you'll be more efficient with the camera if they do it again!

[Stefan-A]

The posts from last year have been lost, but I'm bumping this thread anyway. She's doing it again, third year in a row.

This is what I'm talking about:



It's an old video, but I have a little bit of new footage I should have up in a day or two.