Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Joe here again with some pics and data. I posted earlier about my huge egg clutch (per egg average 140 grams, hatchling average right around 87 grams - biggest baby at 90 g, smallest at 85 g). The hatchling avearge accounted for 62% of the average egg weight. That clutch hatch in 51-52 days at approx 89.5 degrees F. At the time I posed the hypothesis that maybe bigger eggs hatched quicker. It's something I'm going to follow over the next few years.

This much smaller egg sized clutch hatched over the last couple of days. Egg average was about 94 grams, and the hatchling average was about 61.6 grams (biggest 72 g, smallest 55 g). The hatchling average accounted for about 66% of the average egg weight, and this clutch hatched in 53-54 days (at the same temp.)

These come from a possible double het male (albino X Jollif axanthic) and a normal female. Two of their older sisters produced small clutches of eggs for me this year (incubating now), so hopefully I'll begin to find out what if any genes are in my male within the next few weeks.

Enjoy the pics!

P.S. I used the sphagnum moss in the egg box for the last couple of weeks. I was out of perlite and none of our local stores had the plain perlite. They all had the stuff with miracle grow added, but not the plain...This worked just fine.
Joe Pociask - My site...

great information as always!

Have a nice weekend and congrats,

Kyle
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Kyle
www.royalvariations.com

"be safe, be happy and dont let anyone make you afraid" David Coverdale

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I didn't even notice it had it in it, and I didn't read not to use that kind until 1 of the clutches had already hatched. I've had 3 clutches hatch on it so far, 1 hatching right now, and 1 to go. I'd say Miracle Gro is nothing to fear.

Does it make the babies come out nice and big? LoL J/K
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Chris Farmer
Explicit Reptiles

I know. I was thinking that too. I wonder if the Miracle Gro can help snakes as well as it helps plants. But no, my first clutch was/is amazing. They were 85-90 grams when they were born. They all eat like every other day and weigh around 150 grams now. They were born 7 weeks ago, so I think that's pretty good. The other clutches that have hatched so far though have only been in the 65 gram range.

do you put the eggs in the perlite or do you use the no-sub method?

I think for the no-sub method it probably is fine, but I would be scared to let it contact the eggs. Like I said before, better safe than sorry...

Yeah, I put them on top of egg crate, so they didn't actually make contact with the perlite. You'd think though with the condensation and humidity that they would somehow be exposed to the Miracle Gro. Either way though, I can conclude 100% that the Mircale Gro type can be used. At least as long as the eggs aren't sitting directly on the perlite.

I use perlite and I sit the eggs directly on the perlite and so far I haven't lost an egg.

i think using a no contact method w/ egg crate, the substrate is irrelavent, and a soaking wet towel for substrate under the crate would work fine for the humidity.just a thought .but there are always those who say thats not how (any who) does it.
im a colubrid breeder and perlite as direct contact substrate works WELL because if you use enough perlite gravity keeps the wet down in the lower 1". Happy Hatchin Chris

I know exactly what you mean...I don't think i would have even needed the egg crate,at the level of perlite i had going on this first pic....(Like a miniature,contained,floating island.)

However i had several more clutches the following year.The egg crate made it easier to use shorter egg boxes.Which is what i needed in order to get them all in the incubator.

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Charles Glaspie

What size tubs are being used for the incubation tubs .. dimensions? and how many eggs do each hold?

It seems many python eggs are very sensitive to moist conditions. Also, when an egg is in the substrate, it can absorb too much water from overly wet medium. Conversely, if the medium is too dry, it can suck moisture out of the eggs. When the eggs sit above the substrate, the whole "is my substrate too wet/is my substrate too dry" variable goes out the window. As Charles states, its foolproof.

has anyone tried the soaked folded towel with eggcrate seperater,you may be able to use low profile boxes? for space? but then again i think air space is important!

I was thinking about maybe trying that dense green (they have brown too I think) block stuff a florist uses under the eggcrate? It holds an incredible amount of water, the water wont slosh around, and you can cut it into any shape.

Alan

yeah even cushion foam it takes a lil while to sqeeze saturate it but it too hold the water well and i used it for "sponge filters" with Tropical fish so it proved non toxic!go figure some thing a human stuffs there face in and sleeps for hours

I thought i had some big hatchlings this year.A clutch of all over 72 grams each..Those must look huge.lol

Good luck with the two clutches of F2s you got cooking!
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Charles Glaspie

We used this method on 3 clutches of eggs. One burm clutch and two ball python clutchs. We saturated the vermiculite and placed the egg crate over top. The box was covered with glass. There was no worry that the eggs would either dehydrate or drown. We had 100% hatch rate of all fertile eggs. (We lost three eggs within the first two weeks, we presume they weren't fertile.) We are firm believers in this method.

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Randy and Michelle
Art In Scales
(719) 439-4199
info@artinscales.com