Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have this clutch, and they look like they are ready to pip. The temps were 86F to 89F, humidity 96%. I have read many comments as to when you guys cut the eggs. This is my very first Ball Python eggs. ?Het Albino Female to and Albino Male. What would you guys recommend????

Thank you in Advance.

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Thomas Sierra

its a go...........good luck with the albino's

2 more days and they will cut on their own.

Hi Tom,

Leave them until one pips, then you can make a small slice in each egg. Most of my eggs hatch around 56-58 days at 89F
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globalreptiles.ca

>>I have this clutch, and they look like they are ready to pip. The temps were 86F to 89F, humidity 96%. I have read many comments as to when you guys cut the eggs. This is my very first Ball Python eggs. ?Het Albino Female to and Albino Male. What would you guys recommend????
>>
>>Thank you in Advance.
>>
>>
>>
>>
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>>Thomas Sierra

I only cut a v into mine,to get a sneak peek at them.Just use a pair of nail clippers to start a hole,and then make two cuts forming a v flap with some small cuticle scissors.Then use a small flashlight to peek in with...very unobtrusive
(Got a clutch popping their heads up tonight at day 56,but i had already cut them on day 50.)
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Charles Glaspie

no post

Didn't you also mention Evan, that you incubate at 87 degrees?
That could be why. Lower temps, longer development.
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"What is man without the beasts?
If all the beasts were gone,
men would die from great loneliness of spirit.
For what happens to the beasts,
soon happens to men.
All things are connected."

-Chief Seattle (Duwamish Tribe)

You are correct sir. I have done everything from 86-90 degrees on ball eggs but interesting to note sometimes they go longer and shorter incubation duration regardless of temp to some extent. I have had eggs go 62 days at 89 degrees. And don't forget, once they do pip sometimes they sit in the egg a few more days. Evil snakes. I now try to stay at 88. It is a good compromise. They hatch big and fully absorb yolk.

Ahhh ok.

Yeah...the next 3-4 days are going to drive me nuts. It's day 55 in clutch one, 54 on clutch 2...and that's all my clutches. Two eggs from clutch one are sinking in...the rest are still all plump and full.
Just come out little snakes!
haha.
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"What is man without the beasts?
If all the beasts were gone,
men would die from great loneliness of spirit.
For what happens to the beasts,
soon happens to men.
All things are connected."

-Chief Seattle (Duwamish Tribe)

I remember Evan saying this a couple years ago. I gave lower incubation temps a shot last year and was pleasantly surprised with the results. I incubated at 86.9 F and had my first snake pip on day 62 (if I remember correctly)... the hatchlings were bigger than I've had in the past and like Evan says - they all absorbed their yolks 100%. After the first pip, I cut the rest of the eggs. No one stayed in the egg more than a day after pipping.

This year I will again be incubating at between 86.9 and 87.3 F.

I am really glad I could help. I think of all the bonus reasons to cook them a bit cooler the best is that you tend to get a much higher percentage of babies that eat more readily on their own, at least in my experience. When I incubated a few years back at 90 I had a bunch of hypos and albinos that I had to assist feed for months. Since I have gone down a couple degrees I still get the occasional problem feeder but nothing like what I used to get. E

I had completely forgot about that aspect, but you are right. Since I've followed your advice I have noticed the hatchlings are less hesitant about their first meal - many of last year's even took frozen thawed within a week of their first shed. Hopefully, this year they will proven equally vigorous.

>>I had completely forgot about that aspect, but you are right. Since I've followed your advice I have noticed the hatchlings are less hesitant about their first meal - many of last year's even took frozen thawed within a week of their first shed. Hopefully, this year they will proven equally vigorous.

Interesting!..that does sound like an easier season(with the quick feeders).
Since i got double the amount of my usual clutches this season my incubator had to be dropped down to 88.5F..So that the lower boxes wouldn't cook over 90F.
I may try a little lower on the next few i get.

Thanks
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Charles Glaspie

>>I have this clutch, and they look like they are ready to pip. The temps were 86F to 89F, humidity 96%. I have read many comments as to when you guys cut the eggs. This is my very first Ball Python eggs. ?Het Albino Female to and Albino Male. What would you guys recommend????
>>
>>Thank you in Advance.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>-----
>>Thomas Sierra
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Thomas Sierra

I really appreciate all the comments! Trust me I really want to find out if she is truely a 100% het! I will wait for a few days more and see what happens. I do incubate at lower temps with my Hondurans and they do come out bigger and are agressive feeders.
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Thomas Sierra

I'd let them go a few more days - especially if you've had lower temperatures. But by now you should be able to tell if there are any albinos in the clutch just by candling.

Good luck!
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Tosha
JET Pythons

I cut all my eggs at day 52! never had any problems! gl but they look normal and you shouldnt have any problems either way!

Paul

At a temp of 86 degrees they will need more than 55 days. I incubated a clutch at 86 degrees and they did not all pip until day 68. They were out by day 70.
If it were my clutch, I would wait.

.....little bit low.....?.might take 65 days or more....so why hurry and cut early if you took your time and cooked them slowly......you gotta rest meat so why not eggs?...

.I know I wait and I'm going 90 degrees this year.....

I had them take at least 68 days before...

.
.
.my 2 cents
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I would leave em be, and let them hatch out.

Like Charles said I cut a small V in mine no sooner than day 52 and never had a problem yet.
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Damian Macioce
www.strongholdreptiles.com

Congratulations on making it this long Tom! I know I'd be a nervous wreck to cut my first ball morph clutch. In fact I still have that to look forward to but that's another story. Whatever you decide let us know what you get !