The Herpetological Journal is the Society's prestigious quarterly scientific journal. Articles are listed in Biological Abstracts, Current Awareness in Biological Sciences,Current Contents, Science Citation Index, and Zoological Record.
ISSN 0268-0130
2021 Impact Factor from Clarivate for the Herpetological Journal is 1.194, an increase of 0.332 from 2020.
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pp.65-71
Authors: Daniel G. Blackburn
Abstract: Among squamate reptiles, gravid females are frequently said to be able to resorb infertile and malformed eggs from their oviducts. This pattern, if it existed, would allow females to recycle nutrients from abortive attempts at reproduction, and to increase lifetime reproductive potential by modul . ating reproductive effort according to environmental circumstances. However, a review of the literature reveals that evidence for oviductal egg resorption is weak, and does not preclude other fates for abortive eggs (egg retention or expulsion). Furthermore, for the oviduct to resorb eggs would require that it have the functional properties of the digestive tract, properties that may be incompatible with its several reproductive functions. Future work should not assume oviductal egg resorption in squamates without definitive evidence that the eggs are not simply aborted or retained by females foll owing absorption of water.