REPRODUCTION IN THE RATTLESNAKE, SISTRURUS-MILIARIUS-BARBOURI, IN CENTRAL FLORIDA

We studied reproduction in female pigmy rattlesnakes in a subtropical area. Twenty-six females were either captured gravid and held until pa rturition or found in the field with their litters. Over 92% of the sn akes gave birth in August. Individuals with large clutch masses gave b irth earlier in the season than individuals with small clutch masses. Mean clutch size was 5.88 (range 2-11). Litter size and clutch mass we re significantly correlated with female SVL. There was significant var iation in offspring size among females, but this variation was not a r esult of larger females having larger young, or the young being smalle r in larger litters. Of 19 females whose reproductive condition was de termined in the summers of both 1992 and 1993, 32% were not gravid in either year, 42% were gravid in one of the two years, and 26% were gra vid in both years. We hypothesize that annual reproduction in some fem ales is a result of the year-round activity of S. miliarius in central Florida.