Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Just wondering how many here incubate eggs without the use of an incubator? My Florida will lay in a week or so (I hope) and I'm thinking of using my room to incubate the eggs. Room temp is a pretty steady 79-80 degrees in the day, fluctuating a little at night. Do the fluctuating temps hurt the eggs in any way? They just take longer to hatch at cooler temps, right?

Back when I bred kings and milks in the 90's, I never used an incubator. All I did was simply use gallon jars half or 3/4 filled with slightly moistened vermiculite ( with enough water added to make a clump of vermiculite if you took a handfull and made a ball...and I tended to go for slightly drier than more moist ), bury the eggs almost completely with a tiny open area showing that was about the size of your fingertip, and put 3 small holes in the lid. The jars were then put in the snake room that had your exact temps you mentioned and I had fantastic results. Man.....that was fun.

-----
Genesis 1:1

Thats a very oustanding Cal kIng!! Are you breeding them this year? Is that one from the Clark County or Joshua Lineage? Dave

Thank you sir!!
Yes..it is from the Clark County bloodline that Professional breeders has. I got this male from Doug Kranich in 2000, who bought the parents of mine from PB, and I do not have a pair, so no babies coming.

Thanks!
-----
Genesis 1:1

PB got that line from Lemke I beleive. I was in the hotel room many years ago before PB had any of the high whites. On thursday before the Orlando show Lemke met up with Steve and he hand picked a boatload of the very finest of these from Lloyd. He paid a pretty penny to. I beleive in the neighborhood of $250-$450 a pop. Back then that kinda money for snakes blew me away.
-----
I don't need no spell chack.

Wow..what a trip!
I bet he did pay a pretty penny! Back then...things were more scarce in collections.
-----
Genesis 1:1

I have only bred my Florida Kingsnake once so take this with a grain of salt. I did not use an incubator, I live (lived) in Houston, Texas. I place the eggs in a rubbermade container filled with moist spaghnum(sp?) moss with air holes and placed it on the floor of my garage. I opened it every few days for air exchange and to check on them. I had 100% hatch rate in about 65 days give or take a few days. I am no expert but that was my experience. Thomas Davis has the remaining babies that he recently posted a pic of. The eggs were laid in April hatched in June. Also, I did leave about a 6" gap in the door to allow for air exchange in the garage and to control the temp a bit

Miller
-----
0.1Florida King
1.1 Eastern Kings
1.0 Black Milksnake
1.0 Chow Chow (2003 Papi)
0.1 Cats (Shug)

I have hatched hundreds of eggs without using an incubator and I have hatched hundreds with one. I don't think it makes a huge difference as long as you keep the temperature reasonably constant and between 70° and 85°F for the duration.
-----
Chris Harrison
San Antonio, Texas

When I incubate them inside my house (with a.c. on) I use an incubator, but 90% of the time I do not use one. Snake rooms are at between 75F-85F so that's about as good as I need it.
:Mark
-----
Surrender Dorothy!

www.crimsonking.funtigo.com

I used to use a Big Apple Incubator in the 90's, mostly because I also raised geckos at the time. But I got rid of those a long time ago and since have just used my snake room temps for my snake egg incubation. Have done a few thousand this way with no problems.

The only difference I found was that when I used an incubator at a constant 82 degrees, they hatched at 60 days. Now with flucuating temps in my snake room, they take 60-70 days to hatch.

Kerby...
-----
Lonesome Valley Reptiles
www.lonesomevalleyreptiles.com
Specializing In California Kingsnakes

you need fertile eggs.
and you need some heat, but not too much.
and you need some water preferrably dry water (tip o the hat to FR hahahaha)-but not too much.
and you need some air, but not too much.

you can put all those things in an incubator and hatch some eggs
but none are exclusive to an incubator. if you have a good setup elsewhere, go for it.

i use an incubator because it is a better environment than what i have in the room.

incubating season is my FAVORITE time of the year.
best o luck to you.

daveb

np
-----
I don't need no spell chack.