TEXAS RAT SNAKE (ELAPHE OBSOLETA LINDHEIMERI) EGGS AND HATCHLINGS FROM A COMMUNAL NEST

Fifty-two Texas rat snake eggs from a communal nest represented four p utative clutches (8, 8, 12, and 24 eggs) which differed in mean egg ma ss at collection, hatchling mass, residual yolk mass, fat body mass (a djusted for hatchling mass), snout-vent length, ventral scute number, and length of laboratory incubation interval. Mean laboratory incubati on intervals for clutches ranged from 55 to 79 days; total incubation interval could not be known because exact laying dates were unknown. H atchling mass was positively correlated with both egg mass and snout-v ent length. Residual yolk mass averaged 10.0% of hatchling mass and di d not differ among clutches. Sex ratio was skewed in one clutch: 19 of 23 hatchlings were male. Hatching success was 86.5% but might have re ached 96.2% had no eggs been opened.