I asked Bill if his extensive field herping experience gives him any insight into the behavior of wild corns. But he said he has not found either abandoned corn eggs, or corns with their eggs, so can't say for sure about wild corns. However, we (or friends) have found abandoned eggs of other colubrids (racers, mainly) that were left by their mothers to hatch alone.
As far as captivity, yes, the females are often defensive when the eggs are taken. But I think mothers of any species might not be in a mood to be bothered shortly after giving birth or laying eggs! I normally collect the eggs within a day or two of them being laid, so mom doesn't get a chance to abandon them. And they are usually laid in a nest box, which is exactly where mom likes to stay, eggs or not, especially since she will go right into shed after laying. But in those rare cases that I did not have a nest box in the cage for some reason, I have rarely found mom coiled around the eggs. Usually they are either deposited in or under the water bowl, or just left randomly around the cage, especially if infertile. But I can't actually remember finding her coiled around them as I usually find her in the nest box.
That is about as far as my observations go. My conclusions are that wild corns may well stay with their eggs until mom sheds, since they probably lay them in a moist place conducive to shedding. And that she is probably in a bad mood until after she sheds, and that she probably leaves them after shedding. However, this is all just conjecture based on my captive observations, which are based on limited available choices for the female. I don't know if anyone actually has a "real" answer to the question.
