Reptile & Amphibian Forums

This girl makes super clean Ghosts. Had a few aberrants in the clutch as well. Last year she laid while i was on vacation, the eggs were lost since she didn't use her nest box and laid them on the hot spot. Very happy to have these now as I leave for Vacation again tomorrow. Hey Jawn, this is the mother of the one you got from me


Tom Stevens
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TomsSnakes.com

Sweet clutch Tom! Damn... 12 eggs eh? How much did she weight before she laid? Congrats!
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Balls, Milks & Coxi!

I don't weigh my snakes any more unless I suspect one is sick. She has weighed over 1100 grams in the past, I weighed her before she was gravid in 2005. She is about 5 foot, very large girl. Tom Stevens
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TomsSnakes.com

Congrats that is a huge clutch, few questions though if you do catch them in time before the eggs set do you try to separate the eggs or just move them as a group into your incubator? How do you go about putting substrate around the eggs or do you do it all?

Thanks,

It is best not to try and separate eggs... unless they are already apart
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Balls, Milks & Coxi!

I have seperated almost ever single clutch since 2001. I have broken only a single egg in all those years and it was several hundred if not 1000 eggs so far
Tom Stevens
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TomsSnakes.com

Really eh? Well experience definitely counts for something! I am new to all of this but I was told not to separate eggs if they are stuck together... maybe you could have saved that one egg Tom! LOL just kiddin
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Balls, Milks & Coxi!

Most people don't seperate them. I can only fit so many boxes in my incubator so I always did from the get go. This year I have produced way more than ever and have many just sitting in my snake room. Those are the glued clutches which are in much larger boxes...
Tom Stevens
and yes....EVERY egg counts!
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TomsSnakes.com

From what I have read separating is the best method because of mold, infertile eggs and such but it also said if you wait past an hour or so the eggs will bind to each other from the mucus for lack of a better word drying and basically binds the eggs to each other. Tom do you normally separate with in the first hour or so?

There's no way to really tell until the moment you pick up that clutch. Sometimes they come apart very easily, other times you have to take a little extra time and be extremely careful...and other times they're not coming apart no matter what. I heard a story of someone running a hot shower and getting their bathroom steamed and leaving the eggs in there for a few and they came apart.....never had to try that though.
Ever seal an envelope and then have to carefully reopen it? That is a similar feeling when trying to seperate eggs. I have had plenty of people tell me it is a terrible idea, but honestly I do it almost every single clutch. I lost a snake or two too them cutting through their eggs only to come to a halt being trapped inside due to an attached egg next to theirs...
Tom Stevens
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TomsSnakes.com

The male I got from you is an eating machine! He should be ready to go for next year I think. I'll keep you posted. Thanks again .. nice clutch you have there!

Thanks, and I am glad to hear the male is doing well for you. I'd love to see a pic. Tom Stevens
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TomsSnakes.com

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