Question on Male Hemipenes + Excited Rant

[Neon Aurora]

Hey, guys!

So my SHT het eclipse female began ovulating so I paired her up tonight with my rainwater albino eclipse male and had a quick and successful mating! I am absolutely ecstatic, since I'm way more prepared this season than last. Got a herpstat for my incubator, and two genetically awesome animals! I can't wait to have some eggs and hopefully have some tangerine eclipses het rainwater albino popping out of those eggs! =D I'm so excited!

Anyways, I actually do have a question. I did attempt to breed last season, and this didn't happen to my other male. I'm not very experienced with breeding, so I don't have a good idea of what's normal yet. After they mated, my male's hemipenes stayed exposed for multiple minutes. I've never seen one just out in the air so I don't know exactly what they're supposed to look like, but it looked dark red and I was worried it wasn't gong to go back in. Is this normal, or should I be worried about prolapse in the future? It did eventually go back in, but he had to lick it for a while and it would go in and come out until it finally stayed in.

 

[cowana]

I do know that they engorge with blood so the dark red is normal from my understanding, and they lick it to clean themselves afterward. Both of those are common in the animal kingdom. As for it popping in and out, I'm not sure with LGs. I know in other animals it can take a bit for the blood to drain out once excited, even after copulation, so that may be what is happening. He was still stimulated. I will let other more experienced breeders weigh in though, since reptile breeding is new to me as well.

 

[cowana]

Oh! And congrats on your successful breeding! Yay for hatchlings!