Reptile & Amphibian Forums

How long should you give an egg before making an opening, in case of a broken egg tooth?

I had this happen last year...and the quick question is it doesn't matter.

Why, because if the snake inside can't pip on its own there is a very good chance it is not healthy.

Now if you slit an egg that needs more time to develop, for some reason it was cooler than the other eggs, you can kill the neonate.

Having said all this, I would consider slitting an egg after two days, 48 hours after the first snake in the clutch piped. If you don't know how to slit an egg correctly you can kill the neonate.

I waited 5 days last year and both eggs had deformed neonates inside...it was terrible.

-RG

Thanks for the feedback. The first egg piped on 8/4 and the last on 8/6. I am pretty sure this last egg has a live snake in it. I will give it anouther 24hrs, if it hasn't piped on its own by then I fear the odds are bad. I have read of babies turning our heathy who had to helped. ( pythons}

i would cut it... this is what happend to me last year when i waited on cutting eggs..

~ Mike

I have found this fouum to be invaluable to me as a novice in CB snakes. I would like to thank everyone who has taken a moment to share their experience and wisdom with the beginner like myself. It is a really cool thing that you do. You can read a lot, but untill you actually have your first clutch and are able to get that feedback online. You really can't appreciate what a great thing it is. I was in serious doubt about what to do about the last egg of a clutch that had not piped. I still do not know. But at least, due to this fourm, and the kind people who inhabit it, I know more. I decided as a last resort to open the last egg. After about 1.5 hrs the snake inside has protuded it's head and neck from the shell. I have no idea how this will turn out. I only have the highest regards to all those willing to share their experience. In return let me share mine.

If it's nose is out that is a good thing and he will most likely be fine..

Some people feel that if the snake cannot make it out of the egg on there own they will not thrive.. But, in my experiance once they are out of the eggs they do just as well as the ones that pipped themselves.

Good luck and keep us posted on your progress!

~ Mike Russo

Very similar experience here from 2004 & very upsetting. in this instance nothing piped on it's own, so i never knew when it was too early - or too late. I have cut too early in the pat, and the baby snake lives but with complications, I think the growth rate in the last 5 days in the egg is super fast but very important. In hind sight the clutch shown here may have been incubated a tad too damp, but this female has laid 2 clutches with the same result and also I incubated other clutches side by side with perfect results so I am not sure. This year I tryed another male(although they were unrelated anyway)and should see the result in 2 - 3 weeks.

Mine was a clutch of 10... In the morning 5 of the eggs pipped and noses were poking out.. When i got home from work 7 hours later i cut the other 5 eggs open and they were already dead.

The 5 that pipped on thier own hatched out and were 100% perfect.

This year the same female gave me 11 eggs. As soon as the first one pips i am going to cut all of the eggs and see what the results are.. ill keep you posted

~ Mike Russo

Thanks for the reply. Logic dictates that you are dead on. Still a lot of very creative people who dared to ask: why not? have opened a lot of doors. The last milk in my clutch did emerge, normal lookin after opening the egg. It seems sluggish however, and its vitality is in my mind, in doubt at this point.
Robert

I have sometimes noticed the last animal out of the egg in a clutch is generally smaller and I guess would be considered the RUNT!
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Balls, Milks & Coxi!

Happy ending, the last baby looks and acts perfectly normal, if not a little fatter than the rest. I am keeping her seperated long term study.
Thanks,
Robert.

i am glad to hear it worked out well for you..

If it makes you feel better.. a clutch of 8 started hatching for me this morning.. 3 were cut on thier own and i cut the other 5 when i got home from work today.. they are still in their eggs, but they are all alive and i am sure they will hatch out fine in the next day or so..

~ mike

I hope everything came out OK.