Michal Szkudlarek wrote:Mark, can You explain why in Your opinion there is a dependence between length of mating season and mating balls commonness?
Well I don't really have much of an opinion, as I have never seen a N.natrix mating ball, I just thought I would share this information I had read. If the evidence from that book is true, then if the mating season is short, the females will all be out at once, so the sex ratio will be relatively equal, thus no competition for females, which may mean less mating balls. But as I stated I think there must be more to it than this – density of population and hibernation site potential etc.
Berislav Horvatic wrote:If a short mating season (at high latitudes or altitudes) should mean more mating balls, then
why should a long mating period in the UK also imply more mating balls? I don't get it.
And if mating balls have rarely been observed in British snakes, this would be in accordance
with a long mating period in the UK, not at odds with it. So why your "Oddly, though,..."?
The wording in italics was from the book, so the "Oddly, though....." sentance aren't my words. I was getting slightly confused on the wording from the book as well. I believe it means in colder climates / higher altitudes = shorter mating season = less chance of mating balls. Warmer climates / lower altitudes = longer mating season = more chance of mating balls. Again I was simply trying to provide more information for the discussion.