Reptile & Amphibian Forums

They were laid on May 18th and they haven't dimpled any...is that a bad thing?...I candled them and you can see the babies moving around and can actually see their patterns through the shell..but the eggs look just as plump as they did when we put them in the incubator.

what temp are you using? I had 2 clutches like that this season and they are just starting to pip now (laid may 10th). I thought cutting was a great idea but i ended up getting little flies. I would recommend making a small cut or just waiting it out id think they would hatch at 59-62 days if your conditions were in the 88 degree range
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myspace.com/414reptiles

man I have 6 thermometer in that thing and they all read different..one as high as 102 but i know that ismn't right because i stuck the probe under my arm and it read 106 after like 10 seconds...106 and i'd be bout dead...lol...we have 2 liguid in glass thermomters in the egg box and they are reading 88 degrees..I don't trust the zoo med or zilla ones....only ones i have found that read the same is the liquid in glass...Hopefully they are right

Regardless of the temps you're incubating at, some dimple and some don't.
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www.strictlyballs.ca

This is true.... the reason i asked about the temp is lower temps take a little longer from what i noticed. Then again i havent done enough ball breeding to really say lol. I know with my geckos temp makes a HUGE difference in hatch dates
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myspace.com/414reptiles

If you've had fluctuating incubation temps
I would let them slit on their own. It sounds
like they still have some yolk to absorb.
I incubate my eggs at 89 degrees at all times
and they slit on their own about a week early.
They are usually dimpled shortly before that
because they have absorbed all of the yolk.

Hope that helps
David Fernandez

Fernandez Reptiles

I don't plan on slitting till after day 62...the I'm not sure i would feel comfortable even doing it then...because if the temps are on the low side I want to give tham all the time they need

"They are usually dimpled shortly before that
because they have absorbed all of the yolk."
Actually, they don't absorb all of the yolk until they are OUT of the egg, they barely absorb any while still in the egg unslit.
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www.strictlyballs.ca

if they don't pip by when?

at least half of the clutch has pipped...relax and wait for nature to run its course...

After the first one pips or after day 56 IMO. I've hatched over 125 clutches and only lost one baby in the egg.
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www.strictlyballs.ca

Maybe I'm wrong..but I do know there's
an embryo and yolk..that embryo lives off
of the yolk til it is gone. When my babies
come out there is no yolk left..they've
absorbed it all. They leave empty eggs behind
..which is why toward the end of the term the
eggs will dimple. At that point there is more
snake..less yolk.

David Fernandez

If your eggs are setting in vermiculite and there is to much moisture, the eggs will absorb it. This might be why they are not dimpling yet. Be patient....as they get closer to hatching the eggs will start to feel softer due to the higher rate of oxygen being absorbed into the egg, and if there are eggs stuck to each other they will be able to be easily separated. Once they reach the point of being able to be pulled apart with no effort they are within 3-5 days of hatching. It is important not to roll the egg if you separate them, just place the egg in the same position that it was. I use the "No Substrate" method to set up my egg trays, lots of people use this method with great success. This prevents the eggs from absorbing to much moisture that can put pressure on the developing embryo, in extreme cases this can cause spinal deformities (kinks) or even death. If you are able to see movement inside the egg when you candle it, then just be patient and after the first one pips if you want to pip the rest of them they should be fine. Hope this helps...

Carl Aiken-Snakes
E-Mail...casnakes@juno.com

One More Weeks you have....