Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi,
I posted a couple months back of my first thayeri clutch. 7 of them stayed looking good and have swelled considerably. I keep all of my eggs in a closet that fluctuates between 78-80 degrees. Tomorrow will be the 60 day mark. My cal kings and milks took 60-70 days in the same spot. How long do thayeri eggs usually take?
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Kevin Collison
Those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience-C.S. Lewis

will probably take the same time as your cal kings at those temps. Don't be surprised if it's a little longer 75-80 days.

Thanks Russ,
I am pretty exited and looking forward to this. Two years ago, I had a clutch of milk snake eggs last year that I waited and waited for and eventually cut them open and they were all fully formed, but dead. I think a heat spell we had killed them, but someone suggested that I should have slit them open if they didn't hatch by a certain number of days. Although I have been able to keep the temps consistent and all of my other snakes eggs have hatched successfully, I am a little paranoid about making sure all goes well with these little ones.
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Kevin Collison
Those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience-C.S. Lewis

Kev,
If after day 65-70 you have no pips, cut them. I too have had snakes fully formed dead in egg and it stinks. I just cut some extreme hypo hondos eggs after day 62 and I'm glad I did. My scissors had a tough time cutting those leathery egs let alone an egg tooth! They are all fine but taking their time sucking down the yoke sac.

If you do cut the eggs, go gently....make one long slit down and one short slit across and you should be ableto see the hatchling when you pull back the egg shell. chances are you will also see the yoke sac. Give the hatchling a poke with the tip of some forceps and if it moves leave them alone and they'll come out when ready. Don't rush them out or you could lose them as they need time to allow their lungs to adjust to breathing air.

Russ

Hey Kevin. All three of my Thayeri clutches hatched out this year in 60-64 days. That's incubating them at 80-82 degrees. I have had a lot of success keeping them at those temps. After that I would definately cut them open, but be extremely careful.
Ken