Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My Ball Python just laid 5 eggs a few days ago. I am letting her incubate them and the tempatures and humidity are correct in the cage. The eggs though are getting all "wrinkly like" and it's been getting worse. I know there not ready to hatch, not even close! Sooooo, what is wrong with them? Are they supposed to get like that? I don't have an incubator so I'm just going to let her hatch them. But why are they getting so wrinkled? I need a reponse fast! What causes this?
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2 NORMAL BALL PYTHONS (CUJO & LUCIE)
1 NORMAL CORN SNAKE (KRATOS)
1 YELLOW RAT SNAKE (DUBAI)
1 WESTERN HOGNOSE (NO NAME YET)
MANY FANCY MICE & RATS

I've never let a female maternally incubate. It just doesn't seem to make any sense to do it that way if you can get an incubator. But from what I've seen and read, just from the female moving them around and them being out in the open like that, exposed to air and dirt and moving, it's gonna happen. By the way, you can get a Hovabator for like $50. I would go crazy with paranoia letting the female do it. I don't care if they have been conditioned to do it themselves over millions of years. Too many variables I can't control myself.

Just to add, as long as you're saying the temps and humidity are right, the eggs should do fine. Just be prepared for your female to be very skinny in 2 more months. The eggs are very resiliant and mother nature knows what she's doing. They can get extremely ugly and still hatch just fine. Forgot to try to give you some peace of mind before I hit Post Message the last time.

How do you know, the temp and humidity is correct in the cage?
Healthy eggs, should not wrinkle. A fertile egg, that starts to dehyrate, will start to wrinkle due to the lack of moisture.
If I was you, I would reconsider about getting a incubator.
In nature, a female ball python will seek out the best place for her to lay and incubate her eggs. In a cage, YOU have to provide that, she can not.
If you must let her incubate, then double check all the parameters. YOU have to make sure they are correct.
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Ron Billingsley
www.ronbillingsleyreptiles.com

From what I've noticed - when Mom sits on her eggs they have a tenancy to dent - probably from the weight and they just don't look full like those that are pulled and put into the incubator.

This is typically what they look like - this picture taken at like 10 days - kept at proper temps and humidity at 100% - all eggs hatched fine.

If they look any worse - then I would think you need to double check your humidity.

Good luck!
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Tosha
JET Pythons

If you're not sure, get an incubator. A stressed college student working through finals week could get an incubator, set it up, and successfully hatch out a small clutch of eggs. I know 'cause that was me

Otherwise, go with Tosha's advice. When I had the eggs with my female they dented severely but still hatched. Make sure you've got the humidity in there as close to 100% as you can get it without it getting soggy in there.

Good luck!

~jenny
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"The python has, and I fib no fibs,
318 pairs of ribs.
In stating this I place reliance
On a seance with one who died for science
This figure is sworn to and attested,
He counted them while being digested."
~Ogden Nash

jenny.thegreenes.org

"If you're happy and you know it,
Bomb Iraq!
If you cannot find Osama,
Bomb Iraq!
If the terrorists are frisky,
Pakistan is looking shifty,
North Korea is too risky,
Bomb Iraq!

even in high humidity, too much air movement can dry out eggs. try closing up some of the cage vents with tape. don't seal it, just curb the airflow some. if you need to boost humidity, put some extra waterbowls in the cage. use something she can't tip, though i doubt she's going to budge off the eggs. good luck. kurt d.