Females emerge singly about a week later. After mating, the female leaves. Males emerge with regressed testes and low androgen levels. Epididymis, however, is enlarged with sperm stored from previous summer. The males use this sperm to fertilize the female.
Females also emerge with low E levels.
This pattern of dissociated reproduction has evolved to allow the snakes to reproduce in a very short period of time. We need to investigate what changes the rise in testosterone levels following mating may induce in the nervous system and how this affffects sensitivity to rising temperatures in the spring Studies of the red-sided garter snake indicate that gonadal growth and sexual behavior are not necessarily temporally correlated. They can occur separately.