Posted by:
WALL2WALLREPTILE
at Thu May 13 01:33:44 2010 [ Email Message ] [ Show All Posts by WALL2WALLREPTILE ]
Hey Randy,
I believe Reticulated Pythons are capable of true maternal incubation.
Back when I was in college studying Herpetology, under resident Herpetologist Dr. Steven Werman, I wrote a paper concerning maternal incubation.
I actually used Burmese Pythons and Ball Pythons as my subjects.
It worked well...because, having read about each of these species, I already knew what should be the outcome. My results were similar to those who had studied this subject long before I came along.
Since I had gravid females of both species I thought it would prove to be an interesting experiment...(as well, I hoped it would make a decent grade) 
Basically, I took readings of the ambient temperatures and the intra-coil temperatures. I also recorded the humidity levels, both ambient and intra-coil.
Then I manipulated and recorded the new ambient temperatures variations and took note of the maternal subject's posturing. (loose or tight wrap around the ova).
Next, I took note of the onset, duration, and frequency of thermo-regulatory activity. All the while, I recorded the comparative temperature readings, both intra-coil and ambient.
The Ball Pythons would sometimes loosen or tighten their coils.
However, I was not able to draw a correlation between their posturing and the temperature readings. Perhaps they do engage in passive thermo-regulation...perhaps not. The results were just too inconclusive for me to make a real distinction.
The Ball Pythons never displayed any of the true maternal incubation thermo-regulatory twitching activity.
On the other hand, the Burmese Pythons reactions to the temperature manipulation were quite obvious.
(I used to bake Burm eggs artificially at about 90 degrees F.)
After seeing a female Burmese Python's maternal incubation responses, I was inspired to lower my artificial incubation temps and I began cooking my Burmese Python eggs at about 88 degrees F.
Females displayed very obvious posturing as well as pronounced thermo-regulatory activity. On average they seemed to maintain the egg mass at 88.4 - 88.8 degrees F.
Outside of these temp ranges they begin to loosen up the coils (when temps are raised)...or tighten coils and begin to twitch...(when temps are lowered).
Neither species seems to be as good at controlling the humidity as they are at controlling the temperatures.
I have witnessed snakes leaving a clutch (or extending from the clutch) to drink.
I have read that they will sometimes expel water (urinate) on the surrounding incubation substrate when the humidity is low...however, I have not actually witnessed this.
(I did not continue the experiment from oviposition until hatching.)
Anyway, I did get an "A" on the paper.
Funny thing...I was more excited about doing the experiment and getting the data, than caring about what grade I received. Someplace, I may still have that paper. That was years ago...now I wish I had it! LOL. (It was fun but...but I'm glad college days are behind me!)
It might prove to be a fun project to see how your Ball Python hatch rate would be affected by allowing the temps to drop during the female's brooding behavior. However, I hate seeing eggs go bad...and I think I already know the results on this one....I will let you, or someone else play with that.
If you do decide to risk a clutch or two, record the temperature ranges throughout the incubation period...and let me know how it turns out.
Meanwhile, hatching out live babies is fun enough for me...So I guess I will stick to that.
Good to hear from another Colorado Boy!
Take care Randy....Are you going to attend the Rocky Mt Show?
Unfortunately, I will not make this one.
Later buddy,
Harlin Wall - WALL TO WALL REPTILES!
970-255-9255
970-245-7611
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RE: The importance of the distinction... - WALL2WALLREPTILE, Thu May 13 01:33:44 2010
