I agree with Dean....there can be such a large variance between the first egg hatching and the last egg and manually pipping eggs before they are ready can have detrimental effects on the still developing neonate. Assuming that your conditions are just right, including humidity levels, it usually isn't necessary. But, in some cases, though rare, I have enlarged the slit when I felt that the neonate was having a difficult time getting out; this goes against all of my good judgement but I'm guilty as charged. Personally, in order to ensure a vital and healthy captive population of couperi, I oftentimes wonder what a disservice we do when allowing all hatchlings to hatch through manual pipping when some of these babies perhaps should never have survived in this first place. Just stuff that I think about from time to time.


>>I would NOT and NEVER cut holes indigo eggs. I let nature take it's course.
>>
>>I have regularly had indigo snake eggs develop at different rates and it's pretty normal for me to see as long as 3-5 days between the first and last pip and I've seen as long as 14 days!
>>
>>The few time in the past that I have pipped the eggs myself I have found smaller babies not ready to come out yet.
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>>I believe that if they are healthy babies, they will come out on their own when they are ready.
>>
>>There are others that pip all the eggs once the first one pips...and have had luck this way, but if it were me, I would try to be patient.
>>
>>PS: CONGRATULATIONS !!!!!
>>Great job...all your work and attention to detail is paying off!
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Rob Carmichael, Curator
The Wildlife Discovery Center at Elawa Farm
Lake Forest, IL

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