FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE DYNAMICS IN A MARYLAND POPULATION OF RINGNECK SNAKES (DIADOPHIS-PUNCTATUS)

Adult female ringneck snakes (Diadophis punctatus) collected from a Ma ryland population during five successive summers laid a total of 50 cl utches in which all eggs hatched successfully under laboratory conditi ons. Mean hatchling mass was not significantly related to female mass or clutch size when each was evaluated in separate analyses, but was s ignificantly related to these factors when they were evaluated in a jo int analysis. Mean hatchling masses of 0.6-1 g appear most adaptive; w hen females are large enough to produce 1 g eggs, the tendency is to p roduce a larger number of relatively smaller eggs. The relationship of clutch mass to female mass was unaffected by clutch size. Reproductiv e effort, measured as relative clutch mass (RCM, clutch mass/female ma ss), increased with age, as indicated by snout-vent length (SVL); also , the relationship of clutch mass to female mass indicated that clutch es equated a larger percentage as female mass increased. Clutch size a veraged 3.55 eggs and ranged from 2 to 6. Clutches were laid from 17 J une through 21 July (35 d), median 2 July. Clutches hatched during the 20-d interval 8-27 August (median August 18). Larger clutches were la id earlier in the season on average than smaller clutches. Incubation periods for clutches averaged 47 (range 42-51) d. Clutches laid later in the season averaged shorter incubation periods than clutches laid e arlier.