Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Please help!!! I am on day 59 with no pipping yet. Half of me wants to cut them and the other half is saying no! Any advice would help. The temps are at 89 degress. The eggs are also dimpled on the tops of them like they should be. This is a first for me, I always had them pip between day 52 to 57, never this long. Thanks again, Bob

Okay, man, here you go:

Step 1. Take a deep breath and exhale slowly. You don't want to do anything rash.

Step 2. Put down and/or hide any cutting utensil you are thinking of using.

Step 3. Now, we hurry up and wait.

The durations that people typically quote for the amount of time between egg deposition and pipping are averages. Keep that in mind, it will help you keep things in perspective. Eggs can pip (on average) anywhere from day 55 up to day 65. Your own previous results are proof that the durations are averages since you have typically seen hatchlings pip before the day 55 average minimum.

So... give them another week. It won't hurt them. At the least you will have slightly more developed babies. My hatchlings never pip before day 62 (or so). I incubate at an average temp of 86.7 F. It usually means a longer incubation period, but the hatchlings are generally very robust. Plus, if I do have a slight temperature spike my eggs have a couple degrees of a "buffer zone".

I've had them take as long as day 68 before the first one pips.

You seen it said before: "You've waited this long... waiting a little longer won't hurt."

Trust me, you'll be glad you waited.

In the meantime, try to occupy yourself by setting up your hatchling enclosures (it's what I do to ease my idle hands around day 58). When they pip come back and let us know how things are going.

Good luck!
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Stay United!

"...I say 'apparently' because despite all our progress she is not at all a tame or handle-able snake and gettting her from that cage would re-start a war.. and we've had a good armistice for several months now."-Gus Rentfro - I love this quote!

go ahead and cut. Won't hurt a thing, especially at day 59...
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Brad Chambers
WWW.HCU-TX.ORG

The Avalanche has already started-it is too late for the pebbles to vote....

I know it's contoversial and I also know there are valid reasons for waiting. I personally cut every clutch at day 56 and have never had a problem. I think you'll be just fine at day 59. I think it's those who keep opening earlier and earlier who usually end up in trouble. Either way, good luck!

Scott