Ok, I am starting to feel old. Why you ask, Please don't ask!

Ok, this was a problem even back in the early seventies.

The problem is, there are many causes. Including poor incubation.

Also, improper temps start long before an incubator. Which leads to the start.

A quote from another old, old, old great keeper, Ernie Wagner, weak neonates, weak adults. The key is, the adults. I will move on as this subject could also take many posts.

Next, Ernie did many experiments in the old days, For a period of time he promoted B-3 shots(kinda a guess on the exact vitamin) and it worked until he produced neonates that looked like a saw blade, hundreds of kinks. So diet is also a SUSPECT.

Next is understanding egg and embryo development. If you look at it, outside our prejudiced brains. Snakes, develop in eggs, in a rolled up fashion, not in a coiled up fashion. Which means, their bones are not fully calcified. They are soft. It takes about a week for them to harden up. During this time, the hatchlings should not be handled. Once they "harden up" then normal handling can take place. Consider, its individual, The weaker individuals are the ones that can have problems when handled too soon. The problems are kinking.

Kinking and deformities are to different problems. This too can take many many posts.

Theres a point to what many of you said, overheating is not good for eggs or adults. The problem is, if it does not kill adults, its what? OK. Which means, eggs tell you whats wrong, the adults do not, unless they perish.

A final thought, adults, eggs and neonates, all benefit from hot and cold, all see that normally in nature. The problem is captivity is, we humans, like to quantify, average, and offer the least choice as possible. While we can force snakes to do that, they do tell us we are wrong from time to time.

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