Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I will be breeding my het pieds next season (first breeding for me) and I'm curious to know what you guys think of this. I'm thinking about getting either a boaphile 122D or a 123D and put the gravid mother in there for her to lay and incubate the eggs herself. My question is, Do you think this would be a good idea since it's a pretty small cage and I think I could get the temps and humidity correct in a smaller cage than she's in. If need be I could install a computer fan to get the air temps even. Let me know your thoughts, I appreciate it.

Don't waste time letting the female incubate, that's two more months without food for her. I don't think it would be a good idea to have a fan blowing in the cage with the snake either. You will have a much better success rate taking the eggs from the female to incubate them and less stress on her. Don't risk losing eggs and not producing a pied the first breeding. Jon

I don't know about that rack but it might be too much ventilation if you are in a dry climate. I really think the fan would be even worse.

The one time I tried maternal incubation I used a tub with enough room for the female to pick a temperature gradient but with moss to give her some security and to help with humidity.

I had a 100% hatch rate, she ate like crazy after the hatch and she produced again the next year.

nice photo, That must have been quite exciting not only for you but also for the mother.

Sincerely, Kyle
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Kyle J. Stevens
Royal Variations Ltd.

Many a false step is made from standing still.

Last year - my first shot with eggs and maternal incubation - I literally turned my girls tub into an incubator. After which I learned from people that have been doing it continuously that that was not the way to do it - this year the girls will remain in their tubs at normal temps and the only change I am making is changing thier aspen out to cypress to help with nesting and the humidity. My first girl has her eggs on the ground - two weeks now and they look great.

Maternal incubation does not stress or harm the mother - studies have shown that to be false. And if you've waited until she is at the proper weight to breed then you needn't worry about her going two months without food - that is what they are equipt to do. If you want to go maternal incubation - don't let people who have control issues pursuade you not to do it.

Here is a great article on maternal incubation --
Bob Cark Maternal Incubation

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Tosha

"Nihil facimus sed id bene facimus"

6.42.0 Ball Python (Harry and Fluffy and gang)
1.0.0 Angolan Python (Anakin Skywalker)
0.0.1 Green Tree Python (Verdi)
0.1.0 Bredls Python (Smurfette)
0.2.0 Feline (Pippen and Pandora)
0.0.1 Desert Tortoise (Pope John Paul aka JP )
2.2.1 Fish (1,2,3,4)
0.0.0 frogs rescued from pool skimmer
0.0.1 Lizard of unknown origin

The first one didn't work:

www.animalnetwork.com/Reptiles/detail.aspx?aid=25398&sts=all&gobtn=&cid=3702
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Tosha

"Nihil facimus sed id bene facimus"

6.42.0 Ball Python (Harry and Fluffy and gang)
1.0.0 Angolan Python (Anakin Skywalker)
0.0.1 Green Tree Python (Verdi)
0.1.0 Bredls Python (Smurfette)
0.2.0 Feline (Pippen and Pandora)
0.0.1 Desert Tortoise (Pope John Paul aka JP )
2.2.1 Fish (1,2,3,4)
0.0.0 frogs rescued from pool skimmer
0.0.1 Lizard of unknown origin

I agree with Jon. I have done Maternal Incubation, set up a cage as an incubator and used home-made incubators. All of these have been successful. The only difference is, as Jon points out, that females will not eat for an extra two months. That is not a big deal if she's a hog and eats a great deal after hatching but it can mean the loss of a whole breeding season (year) if she is not an agressive feeder. In the wild the majority of Ball pythons only breed every other year for exactly this reason. As hobbyist/breeders we want to do better than this. I hatched 265 balls last year using converted refrigerators as incubators. I am confident that a survey of "big name" breeders would reveal that over 90% use artificial incubation techniques. I know that Sutherlands, Ralph Davis, Barkers, Nerd, Bells, Sharp ande most others do. Bob Clark's article that Tosha refers to is great and if I was breeding large snakes (retics, burms,rocks) then the added component of personal injury when taking eggs would encourage me to let mom do the work but with high dollar BPs I too am a Control Freak! If you decide to use the cage then definitely Can the Fan !

Just my 2 cents
Richard