SexyBear77
Fully Grown Corn
United Kingdom
3796 Posts |
Posted - 17/03/2011 : 17:43:15
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Firstly, stay calm. Leave her a period of time to ensure she has laid all the eggs- any still to come should be clearly visible as lumps towards her back end. If you disturb her too soon she may decide to hang onto them, which can cause problems.
Now, you have a few choices as to what to do with the eggs- 1. put them in the freezer. This will "kill" them. Don't worry, the unborn snakes are barely more than cells atm and will feel no pain. 2. take them to a local reptile shop and see of they will take them from you to incubate themselves 3. see if you can find a local keeper willing to have them and incubate them (both the above options can result in total handing over of the eggs, you getting a share back or you getting all back- depends on the person) 4. incubate them yourselves.
Whatever you choose, when moving the eggs, make sure you don't turn them! This can cause the yolk to suffocate the embryo. If need be, mark the eggs very carefully with a pencil line so you know which is the right side up.
For making an incubator you will need- a polystyrene box, available from fishmongers or nice reptile shops a suitably sized heatmat, ideally to cover the base of the above box a stat, on/off will do digital thermometer some sort of egg box with lid (tupperware is great) with a few small holes in the lid a medium for the eggs- sphagnum moss or vermiculite, both from garden centers hygrometer for measuring humidity (optional)
Put the mat into the bottom of the box. Attach the stat, plug in, set to around 28c. In goes thermometer. Whilst heating up, half fill the egg box with the moss or vermiculite, which should be dampened, but not wet. When squeezed, it should not yield too many drips of water. Put the eggs in the box, in a clump if need be, pushed slightly into the medium. Put the lid on the box. If need be, stick the box into the viv on a heatmat for the time being. The incubator wants to be at around 28c with the lid ON- bear in mind that polystyrene is very insulating, and the temp inside the box may exceed by far what the stat dial says. Play around to get it spot on. Temp should not exceed 30c. Humidity should be around 90%+ When happy, put the egg box into the incubator on something to raise it up- a cake rack, polystyrene blocks, whatever. You don't want the box directly on top of the mat. Put the lid on the incubator, take a deep breath and have a cup of tea.
Eggs will take around 60 days to hatch, sometimes more and sometimes less. Usually eggs take longer to hatch at lower temps. Once a week open the egg box to allow an exchange of air. The eggs should remain plump, white and the box should be showing condensation.If they are starting to dry and shrivel up its probably too dry. Wet the medium, not the eggs, with water at the same temp of the incubator- this will stop the embryos being shocked by cold water. If the eggs start to go mouldy its maybe too wet.
Offer the female something small to eat a few hours after she has finished laying. Offer a small food item more frequently than normal until she regains her lost condition.
Any probs, get back on here.
Good luck. |
9.11 Cornsnakes 1.1 Hogg island boas 1.0 Dwarf Burmese python
Location: Watford Website- http://rassnakes.yolasite.com/ |
Edited by - SexyBear77 on 17/03/2011 17:46:24 |
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