Reptile & Amphibian Forums

The first baby to pip has also come out of its egg...Now, it hatched this morning, with a good bit of umbilical still attached. I set it up in a shoe-box sized tub, with damp papertowel and a heatpad that's heating things up to about 90, give or take a degree. Within an hour, about half the umbilical (I think some unabsorbed yolk was still attached) had come off with a very small amount of blood. I figured the rest would come off by the end of the day...

Well, it hasn't, and I'm just wondering if I should be worried now, or if I should do anything. All I've really done, other than weigh it and take pictures as I took it out of the incubator, is keep the papertowel in the tub damp and check temps to make sure they're the same.

Three more babies still sitting in eggs, two left that need to pip.
If anyone has suggestions about that umbilical, I'd love to hear them.

Baby One!

The umbilical -

Thanks!

~jenny
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"Polysyllabism in no way insures that what you're saying is actually worth being heard." - Blake (an e-friend of mine)

"I have never made but one prayer to god, a very short one: "O lord, make my enemies ridiculous." And he granted it." - Voltaire

Most likely the umbilical chord will slough off in a few days.

If you are really concerned about it there is a method called ligation. This is where you take some thread or light pound test fishing line and tie a not around the umbilical chord near the base of the chord and cut off the chord that is hanging away from the snake. This method is the same method doctors use to cut off the umbilical chords of babies.

If you'd like you can call me at (408)981-6694. It is 10:43 PM. California time and I will be up for the next hour or so.

I worked at an animal hospital for nine years as an animal health technician. I have also been breeding snakes for about twenty years. I can easily talk you through this procedure.

Let me know if you need any help.

Best of luck.

Brian
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Brian Gundy

www.for-goodness-snakes.com

It is actually looking better already this morning. The belly button hole is smaller, and the thickest part of the cord has come off - all that's left is what looks like a small blood vessel. I'm going to leave it alone for another 24 hours, and see if by then it hasn't come off all the way.

Thanks a ton for the help, though! Do you mind if I do call you if the cord isn't all the way better by tomorrow morning?

~jenny
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"Polysyllabism in no way insures that what you're saying is actually worth being heard." - Blake (an e-friend of mine)

"I have never made but one prayer to god, a very short one: "O lord, make my enemies ridiculous." And he granted it." - Voltaire

Jenny;

I'm not surprised about today's observation. It's hard sometimes to give advice when you can't see the animal.

My bigest concern when baby BPs leave their egg prematurely is that they can make them selves have an umbilical hernia by draging around their umbilical chord, that's why I have sometimes ligated close to the body to keep the snake from pulling out it's insides.

Sure you can call me anytime, but I feel confident that you will contimue to see nature following its plan.

Brian
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Brian Gundy

www.for-goodness-snakes.com