Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have a single incubator that I'll be using to incubate my Indigo and milk/kingsnake eggs. I currently have Indigo eggs incubating at 76-77 degrees, which I came up from reading old forum postings and care sheets. Trouble is, this is a little bit cool for the milk/king eggs that will be coming soon. Is there a happy medium temperature that they can all share? Normally I do the milk/king eggs at 82, but I think 78-85 is the accepted range. Would 78-79 work ok for the Indigos, or would that be risking spinal kinks?
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Paul Weaver
Carolina Herps

I incubate Drymarchon spp. eggs at an ambient temperature between 73* - 75*F, as the core temperature of the eggs always remains between 2* - 3*F higher, due to the energy expenditure during embryonic development.
Personally, I believe the Drymarchon eggs are worth the extra effort and / or expense to maintain them separately. I have often used, and still do on occasion, a shelf within a water heater closet, which fluctuates a bit between 69*F and 78*F, but maintains an overall average temperature of 74.3*F. In my experience, this arrangement has proven to be 100% successful with both Drymarchon and Pituophis eggs.
There is quite a bit of evidence which associates warmer incubation temperatures to a variety of developmental anomalies and embryonic mortalities…

Best regards,

Jeff
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Jeff Snodgres
University of Arkansas
snodgresjeffreys@uams.edu
501.603.1947

Jeff hit it head on. Most folks forget to consider the energy expenditure of developing eggs during the developmental stages and though I used to set my incubator at 76-78 degrees F. I have, for the past few years, been keeping temps at the 74-75 degree mark which has worked out very well. I have actually hatched many colubrid eggs (from temperate regions) at room temps (fluctuates between 70-77 degrees) w/out any problems; the longer incubation at these slightly cooler temps typically equates to bigger and healthier hatchlings.

Rob Carmichael, Curator
The Wildlife Discovery Center
Lake Forest, IL

>>I incubate Drymarchon spp. eggs at an ambient temperature between 73* - 75*F, as the core temperature of the eggs always remains between 2* - 3*F higher, due to the energy expenditure during embryonic development.
>>Personally, I believe the Drymarchon eggs are worth the extra effort and / or expense to maintain them separately. I have often used, and still do on occasion, a shelf within a water heater closet, which fluctuates a bit between 69*F and 78*F, but maintains an overall average temperature of 74.3*F. In my experience, this arrangement has proven to be 100% successful with both Drymarchon and Pituophis eggs.
>>There is quite a bit of evidence which associates warmer incubation temperatures to a variety of developmental anomalies and embryonic mortalities…
>>
>>Best regards,
>>
>>Jeff
>>-----
>>Jeff Snodgres
>>University of Arkansas
>>snodgresjeffreys@uams.edu
>>501.603.1947
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Rob Carmichael, Curator
The Wildlife Discovery Center at Elawa Farm
Lake Forest, IL