>>I think its a pretty poor python egg set up. Others use them with great success.

I would have to disagree. Maybe you are doing something wrong with the setup. I've had great success with hovabators in the past. Do I use them now? No. I don't have the space for them, but they are excellent incubators for ANY reptile eggs.

>>People who use a hovabator with no egg box invariably have problems.

I also have to say nay again. I guess it depends on the setup. I've always had a bit of condensation on the windows of my hovabators.....but I never opened them until the last couple of weeks. Just dump the vermiculite or perlite directly in the styro, add the right amount of water and then add the eggs.....get babies in 7-8 weeks.

>>Also, if you're using the thing right out of the box its far to shallow.

Agreed. They do need modification, and the best way is by using a large fish shipping styro......usually free from fish or aquarium stores.

>>You have the eggs sitting in straight perlite? That would have a tendency to pull moisture out of the eggs. I use straight perlite in my no sub set-up, but would never use it in a traditional set-up.

Again, it must be something you are or are not doing. I have incubated MANY clutches of MANY different snake in direct contact/half burried perlite. I prefer vermiculite, but it's been hard to get for several years. If you have the right depth of perlite, and the right water content, it WILL NOT draw moisture from eggs. If you are using the no-sub method, why would you use perlite?

>>And why do you think perlite dries out any slower than vermiculite?

Because you have to guage the correct moisture content with vermiculite before adding eggs. With perlite, you can just pour water in the bottom of the container. If you are loosing moisture from either method, then your container is not "tight" enough. I've never had to add water to perlite because I just pour enough in the container until I see it reach half-way up the side. Then I pour a small layer of dry on top. I've done it with everything from Balls to Burms to Chondros to Kingsnakes. Really, if done correctly, no method should dry eggs out.

I've even incubated eggs in panty hose hanging in the middle of a saturated incubator. The ultimate dry substrate with 100% ambient humidity. Pretty cool, huh?
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