Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Frank, I am curious to know your opinion of manually pipping/slicing eggs. I feel that if a neonate is unable to pip its own egg it should die in the egg. I base this opinion on the theory of natural selection, only the strong survive. If the baby has no egg tooth (for example), couldn't that be an inheritable trait passed on to future generations if we we assist it in hatching? I raise the question now because it is hatching/buying time and i see so many people posting pictures of clutches hatching ( or should I say crawling out of holes made by humans?). I personally don't manually pip any of my eggs and rarely have a full term baby dead in the eggs due to an inability to pip its own egg. I hate the thought of buying a baby snake that an insecure/impatient human thought he had to slice its egg open in order not to lose out on one more hatchling to sell. I think I know all the reasons people will give in support of manually pipping, so I'm not at all interested in those. I am interested in philosophies why we should NOT pip the egg. Curious to know anyones thoughts, but especially interested in yours frank. **NOTE: I realize that natural selection may not apply to captive programs as it would a wild/natural situation. I used that terminology for lack of a better way to articulate my thought. Thanks, Rusty

I agree with you. I do not slit them either. There has to be some effort to keep them strong and not have individuals that live with a life support system(hahahahahahahaha a little overboard) But you get the picture. Some folks leave little for the animal to accomplish. I think hatching should be done by the snake.

Of course if its the rarest specie in the world, that may be a different story.

I think slitting the eggs is about human patience more then anything else, some folks just don't have any. Cheers

I feel that if a neonate is unable to pip its own egg it should die in the egg. I base this opinion on the theory of natural selection, only the strong survive.

Except that sometimes it is lack of proper incubation environment that results in a young one not being able to break through. Too wet for example.

On one of the corn snake forums, someone who hatches a lot of eggs stated that this year, he did not add any water unless eggs actually started denting. He got a higher hatch rate and less kinks.

My only clutch in 2006 - one king made a ton of slices, and as lock would have it, not a single slice met up with another slice. I finally used a pair of scissors to join two slits that were *almost* connected to make a flap, and it was out within 15 minutes.

This year - I slit one egg just to see if the clutch was viable. It was, and the egg I slit was the last to hatch.

But anyway, I suspect it is improper incubation conditions that result in DIE more often than the genetics of the neonate.
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Arrrggg!
It's like Shalom, but for pirates.
- iCarly

If the eggs are incubated too wet (your example) which prohibits the babies to be able to slit the egg, then you have to agree that the eggs were not properly incubated, Right? Would you rather purchase a hatchling that was incubated using less than desirable methods, or more desireable methods? Rusty

That's a great retaliation.

I think it is purely a personal choice.

As a consumer, I would want an individual that was incubated right. Although, I'm sure there are tons of people who couldn't care a less as long as the morph was rare/(in)valuable.....sort like there are breeders who couldn't give a crap as long as it sells.

I'm glad you brought this up; it's very interesting to see what others think.

I want a baby that feeds well, has a lot of spunk, and is healthy. If it came out of an egg that was slit, so be it.
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Arrrggg!
It's like Shalom, but for pirates.
- iCarly

I agree with you....althought there def is hard truth on incubation inconsistancies not being able to make an easyily sliced egg. As some have previously mentioned, Some snakes have the ability, determination, and strength to break out but are simply "unlucky".

This is kinda similar to the English Bulldog situation....English Bulldogs ahve to have a C-section in order to give birth. All of them are like that. Doesn't that, technically, mean that it's not even a species because they cannot naturally produce offspring in the "wild". I know I'm rambling on something that might not seem to relate at all. I guess I'm trying to say "it's a personal choice made with preset intentions on a consuming market/moral standpoint.