Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Here are a few pictures of my Unicolor eggs at 31 days old on coconut husk, my favorite. I am cooking them at 79F to 80F. They were laid Mar 11 and she was bred on November 11.

These eggs are from the same Female that suffered a cut jugular vein from breeding months earlier.

She was fed crayfish, egg yoke and carrot powder supplements. In addition to the carotenoid supplements she has full access to natural sunshine. This represents a doubled clutch and it is twice the size of her first clutch. I will continue double clutching her for the data as she has already been reintroduced to the male.

I am interested in any successful double clutches from Eastern Indigo as there are a few records but not much data.
Uni Eggs

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"Life without risk is to merely exist."

It's a fine thing to see eggs doing so well. I would be very concerned about the long-term effects on female Drymarchon as a result of double clutching eggs. I wouldn't advise anyone doing this with an Eastern indigo. Of course, I am ignorant as to how breeding conditions would be maipulated to achieve double clutching.

My reason for double clutching is as follows. In the wild there are no limitations in this area.

My Masticophis would double clutch every year even when not bred. Twice her eggs went full term (when not bred) and looked just like the eggs shown until I had to cut them open they were way past due and they were clear, Fully calcified but not fertile!

I bred her over a ten year period and found that the amount of supplement determined the quality of the second clutch hatchlings. Her first clutch was always perfect.

On the second clutch babies, without extra supplement, I got full term deformed hatchlings and a few dead in the egg. Once I increased the supplements the survivability of the second clutch increased ten fold.

There are two variables here I have always overdone calcium allowing my mice to chew on pure calcium as much as they wanted, that is why I do not consider un-calcified eggs as non-fertile since my non-fertile eggs go full term.

The second point is that by having a successful second clutch will tax her system and if the supplements do not provide the necessary building blocks to form life I will know and have data that will help all breeders for the long term thus saving countless hundreds of potential hatchlings.

If Indigo were not problematic breeders then and there was no problem in hatching them then my work would be somewhat foolish but if we do not stretch the parameters then how can we gain the valuable information needed to succeed at a more rigorous pace.
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"Life without risk is to merely exist."

Hi Bill!
I wish you 100% hatch.
I'm happy to see one of your informative post again. I supplemented this young female with all the stuff you talk about and her first clutch look really good. 25 eggs. I'm now trying to double clutch her without male...

Stay tune Bill, it's now only a matter of week before i get the ptyas carinatus, after waiting almost a year.
Take care!

Frank Retis on the Monotor forum has nicknamed the mixture TOIDS. If you went on to the monotor forum and posted
"Gee Frank, TOIDS really do work"
he will most likely have some interesting input as he is a thinker but he challenges people and enguages in constructive talk if you can get him to open up. Tell him sighthunter says Hi.

It is nice to know you are still on this forum and doing well................Bill
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"Life without risk is to merely exist."

AWESOME!!!!! Congrats!

Dear Sighthunter,

I concur, it's great to have you posting again, as you offer the fresh and innovative perspective! Those eggs look "well calcified", i.e. they are very rough textured. The other clutch, (uni's?) had "tails" I recall, so I am becoming increasingly convinced you are doing something different and it's apparent in the eggs. And double clutching?

About the coconut, would you please say why it is your favorite? I was afraid it might mold being that it is of plant origin...and that is why I tend to use near sterile vermiculite or perlite. What't the scoop on coconut? Thanks, Vic

Coconut wicks excess moisture from the egg. I use an incubator that is near 100% humidity. Coconut has an amazing ability to hold moisture without molding. Coconut will occasionaly mold if a forign object is in it but the coconut seems to resist mold in and of itself. Neat stuff.
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"Life without risk is to merely exist."