Reptile & Amphibian Forums

On March 1,2009 my female texas indigo produced 11 seeming good eggs and 2-3 much smaller but shelled slugs. They were set up in vermiculite and placed in my snake room where I strive to keep the ambient temperature below 80 degrees F. I thought it might be informative to go through the gory details of this incubation process.
Day 96 - 1 pip and #1 emerged
Day 97- 3 additional pips (at least pressure lost)
Day 98 - #2 emerged
Day 99 - I opened one of "pipped" eggs because it was smelling bad and found Twins- but both were already dead and decomposing.
This prompted me to open the last pipped egg and I found a weak, but alive embryo that I removed to damp paper toweling. Most of the yolk mass was gone and I gave it a few hours before tying off the umbilical cord. I would give this snake oral electrolyes the next day and I am happy that it now looks fine.
Day 100 -eventually ended up cutting all of the remaining 7 eggs.
Day 101 - nothing- I was sure at this point I had killed the remaining 7 embryos.
Day 102 - #4 emerged
Day 103 - #5 emerged -things are looking up.
Day 104 - nothing - starting to worry again.
Day 105 -#6 emerged
Day 106 - #7 & #8 emerged
Day 107 - #9 emerged
Day 108 -
Day 109-
Day 110- further cut the last egg; felt and saw some movement.
Day 111 - #10 emerged! YEAH

So, it was a successful hatch. But I still don't know what would have happened had I done nothing. Brian has reported a long period of emergence for a clutch of yellowtails this year.
What would others of you had done? Just left them alone?

I will try and post some pics. If anyone wants to see them in person, I will have a couple at the Columbia SC show this weekend.

Thanks for reading and I hope that this might help other future breeders.

Bob H

Bob H, thanks for posting this, a great question on apprently well known but rarely written data. I had a D.couperi clutch go roughly 76 hrs. from #1 to #10, and I was really getting worried, I slit the last two eggs on advice of a well respected breeder "mentor"... Apparently it is not unusual for clutches to vary on emergence, and many of us probably react too soon... However, one hears horror stories of dead in the egg full term, "if only I had opened them". Maybe someone who has hatched dozens of dry clutches can comment on the spread between first pip and last, what is "normal"? I know some guys who slit every egg 24 hrs. after the first pip, but I think that may not be necessary. I just don't have enough stats to draw a reasonable conclusion, but others probably do. What say the experienced breeders with dozens of clutches over the years? Vic H.

Good question. I would have cut every un-pipped egg a day after first one appeared. 96 days is a little shorter than many incubation durations. Good luck with the babies.

Bob,

Thanks for sharing that information with everyone.

Actually, both of my YT clutches went way beyond the normal incubation period this year.

I have a clutch of nine Texas Indigo eggs (started with 13)that are nearly two months along, and it will be interesting to see how long they go.

Brian

Thanks for the comments guys. I hope this will help someone sometime. Brian wishing you good luck with your errebenus.
Bob

So did the female produce only 11 eggs or 13 - 14 eggs?

Thanks.

Eleven normal sized eggs and 2-3 that were only maybe 1/3 norma size. The small ones were shelled but infertile.