Posted by:
WALL2WALLREPTILE
at Mon Jun 28 17:06:06 2010 [ Email Message ] [ Show All Posts by WALL2WALLREPTILE ]
While many Python species are able to maintain proper incubation temperatures via thermoregulatory twitching...Ball Pythons do not engage in this behavior.
Rather, Ball Pythons merely exhibit brooding behavior, (wrapping around the eggs).
So, your Ball Pythons will not be able to raise or lower the temps. In actuality Ball Pythons are not capable of true maternal incubation.
True maternal incubation is seen is several other species...such as Burmese Pythons.
Although you may have seen Ball Pythons successfully hatched without the use of an actual incubator (Randy Remington posted some photos) we should keep in mind that the temperatures and humidity levels were maintained by the keeper....Not by the brooding female Ball Python. If your cage temperature and humidity conditions mimic that of an incubator...You should experience success.
Essentially you will have created a cage which is also an incubator.
If the temperatures in your cage/room fluctuate...the brooding female will NOT be able to raise the temps or lower them. As Ball Pythons only brood (wrap) the eggs and do not actually incubate the eggs.
In the case of Burmese Pythons you would be able to allow the female to help control the temperatures to some degree. Burmese Pythons do more than merely brood the eggs....they can also use the thermoregulatory twitching (muscular activity) to raise the temps. When temps start getting too high...they will loosen their coils and allow some of the heat to dissipate.
Humidity is regulated to some degree by the tightness or looseness of the coils.
I have also heard that incubating snakes may urinate on the substrate to help maintain proper humidity levels. However, I have not witnessed this behavior.
If you want to leave while you are expecting Ball Python eggs...you will need to control both the humidity and the temperatures manually. Essentially you are making a snake room that is also an incubator.
Hope that information is helpful.
Keep us posted.
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RE: Maternal incubation - WALL2WALLREPTILE, Mon Jun 28 17:06:06 2010
