I have posted this before, but here is my setup. I have been using maternal incubation with virtually all of my python clutches since the late 1970’s and feel that if setup properly, it is as good, or better than artificial incubation. I work mostly with larger species of the genus Python, but have used it with pythons as small as P. regius and Antaresia sp. The keys to success revolve around maintaining consistently high cage humidity, control of proper ambient temps, and proper nest box substrate temps. The main issues involve keeping the humidity up so as not to risk desiccating the eggs, and maintaining the proper temperatures, for if it drops too low, the female will expend an inordinate amount of energy keeping the egg mass at the proper incubating temperature. You want it just a few degrees below the maternal incubation point because she can always raise the egg mass temp., but there is no way for her to lower it if it gets above her maternal incubation point. Additional, non-physiologically thermoregulating species need a remote basking site as well.
A drawback that bothers some breeders is that the female comes off the eggs at hatching with a significant loss of body weight. This essentially prohibits her from being bred the following season in most, but not all cases, and so maternally incubating pythons are typically best bred only every other year. I personally never had a problem with that. Another issue that bothers some is the fact that infertile, decomposing eggs cannot be removed from the egg mass and may cause the death of adjacent eggs. My experience has shown this not to be an issue. I have seen fertile eggs on several occasions hatch successfully when surrounded by several decomposing eggs. In fact I do not recall ever losing an egg due to this issue. Additionally, I have never had any mold issues with this setup.
The middle photo below is of my setup that I have used for almost 30 years with great success. It can be scaled for any python cage size. Thermostatically controlled Flexwatt below the cage, and the interior fluorescent ballast above maintain the proper ambient and nest box temps. The evaporative wick water trays surrounding the nest box maintain humidity levels around 90% at all times. Damp long fiber sphagnum is used in the nest box. The python in the upper photo is one of my P.m. bivittatus taken in the early 1980’s. The lower photos are of one of my Sri Lanka molurus or P.m. “pimbura”. Ambient and nest box temps, and cage humidity are monitored several times per day. Intra-coil temps are taken every few days as well. Good luck with her.
Kelly
