| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Kaz65 |
Posted - 10/06/2012 : 22:50:41
So we just collected our first Corn Snake on Saturday.....came home tonight to find that she has laid about 20 eggs under her cave.
What do we do? |
| 13 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Spreebok |
Posted - 12/06/2012 : 20:48:08
Curious to know if you got her from a shop or a breeder. Frankly, a corn full of 20 eggs will be pretty obvious, especially if she hasn't eaten for a while. I'm willing to bet they misled you, told you she was feeding fine? If it were me, I'd give them hell!
But yes, you've done the right thing freezing, the laybox kdlang talks about is a good idea, but yes, if you think se still has an egg in her and she doesn't lay in the box, take her to a reptile/exotics vet. |
| kdlang |
Posted - 12/06/2012 : 08:19:13
I wouldn't keep offering her food every night. Firstly I would make sure she has a laybox. You need a plastic tub of some kind that is big enough for her to get in comfortably. Cut a hole into it that is big enough for her to get in and out of and put a layer of damp sphagnum moss into it. Put this into her viv so that she has somewhere to lay if she has got anymore left. Give her a couple of days and if she hasn't laid anymore and you really think she has got one left then you may need to take her to the vets. |
| kev 5 |
Posted - 11/06/2012 : 21:59:55
next ime try offering a small mouse or even a fuzzy. if she had 20 eggs inside her she probably hasn't eaten for quite a while. |
| Kaz65 |
Posted - 11/06/2012 : 21:46:29
Yes it was a BIG shocker!
We have cleared out the eggs and frozen them. She does seem to have an egg left inside her I think, what do you suggest?
We also tried to feed her tonight...she seems so much smaller now than when we got her Saturday  She was not interested in her food but did have a big drink of water which I am thinking is a good sign. So should we keep offering her food every night or wait a few nights?
So sorry for all the questions  |
| kdlang |
Posted - 11/06/2012 : 08:56:42
Wow that must have been a shocker.
Are the eggs white and a good shape? If they are, personally, I would freeze the eggs. As a snake keeper you are very inexperienced and, while you can learn quickly, having a batch of non-feeding babies is an extremely worrying and time consuming possibility. Freezing them would not be killing the babies as they will not start developing for a few days.
You could ask your local rep shop if they would like to have them and they will incubate them.
Otherwise, have a very fast read up on incubating and hatching and good luck.
If the eggs are yellow then chances are they are duds and you can just throw them away.
In regards to your female, you need to check to make sure she has laid them all. Get her out and let her slide through your hands while running your finger with slight pressure along her belly. If you feel any bumps you need to give her a laybox. If you are confident that you can't feel any more bumps then you need to try to get a feed into her. Maybe a smaller mouse than she would usually have. Chances are she hasn't eaten for a little while as she has been gravid. She will soon go into her post-lay shed so if you can get a meal into her before hand it will help her get her weight back up. After that it is just a case of making sure she builds her weight back up and be aware for her possibly double clutching, that is producing a second batch of eggs.
Contact the person you have purchased her from and see if you can find out if she has been kept with a male and what her feeding has been like. How old and big is your girl? Keep us posted hun and if you need any more advise you know where we are. |
| marc_sg |
Posted - 10/06/2012 : 23:17:19
Sorry for that rant but hopefully it will help |
| marc_sg |
Posted - 10/06/2012 : 23:15:26
Its up to u really but u have two choices.
1. Decide if u can get rid of the babies and if u have the patients to handle 20 non feeding babies. If its no to either of them put them in the frezzer for a couple of days and then bin them.
2. If u decide to incubate them the for a temp bases /over night stick them in a food container with. A fair bit of dampened luke warm tissue. Squezz the tissue out so the water doesnt drip any more. U will need this to be about an inch thick. Place the eggs inside and place a lil bit more kitchen tissue over the top. Place these on theheat mat. Make sure ur female has enough mat herself. And then tomoz u can either buy an incubator from ur local shop or make one. Heres my two different ones
This will prob be the easiest one to make and quickest. I got my polystyrene box from a fish mongers.
http://www.thecornsnake.co.uk/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=23855&SearchTerms=how,i,made,my,incubator
This is my beer fridge one. Which is harder to make takes longer and generally these fridges are hard to find. Coz theres no point in buying a working one coz u will rip it apart.
http://www.thecornsnake.co.uk/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=24434.
Get the incubator up to temp of about 83°f.
Will also need a new egg container that is air tight and to buy a bag of vermiculite or spagnum mosse. With the vermiculite what ever weight u put in the container u need to match it with water a mix it up by hand to make sure its all damp. Again this needs to be about 1or2 deep. With ur finger make a dip in the vermiculite so half the egg fills the hole. But u need to make sure the egg stay the same way up as they were laid.again u need to get this container up to temp in thevincubator aswell. then put the eggs in . If the vermiculite is too cold u will shock the eggs and possibly kill them. Then its a waiting game.
Once they hatch u have to be able to house them all in little food containers feed all. Two or three times before any one will take them. Also u will need more heat mats to heat them aswell.
But if u are willing to do all that then i wish u good luck. |
| Primrose22 |
Posted - 10/06/2012 : 23:07:53
Jeeezz, that must have been such a shock for you. Perhaps contact the breeder / shop/ person you got snakey from? Good luck, keep us posted xx |
| Kaz65 |
Posted - 10/06/2012 : 23:02:21
Thank you for your replies guys |
| QueenVic |
Posted - 10/06/2012 : 23:00:34
just read through the stickies :)
if you dont want to incubate the eggs and youre not prepared for hatchlings then put them in the freezer then discard of them.
They are not baby snakes for many weeks, so its not as if you're killing them.
if you do want to incubate, then have a read of the stickies and then ask any further questions :) id be happy to help but theres no point me writing out all the basics when its already up ;) |
| Kaz65 |
Posted - 10/06/2012 : 22:56:11
We had no idea....I am actually really upset as this is our first snake and I have no idea what to do now |
| QueenVic |
Posted - 10/06/2012 : 22:55:29
have a look at the stickies in the breeding section :)
should tell you everything you need to know
good luck :) |
| Primrose22 |
Posted - 10/06/2012 : 22:54:06
Wow. Did you know she was pregnant ? !! |
