Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have some Eastern Kingsnakes that are hatching. They started popping out on the 14th. I have a total of 10 eggs. 3 emerged yesterday which was wed. 1 emerged thursday but it was dead with his mouth gaping open. The remaining eggs had not even slit open their eggs yet. I just slit them open some. I am very concerned they will not hatch. What do I do??? The eggs seem like they are drying out. Do I rescue them or what???? I need some advice and I need it now.

Thanks in advance.

Eggs will get softer and will sometimes dent in when they get real close to hatching.

I've had eggs from the same clutch hatch over a week apart. May be best to leave them alone and see what happens. Friends of mine have cut eggs open to find live snakes that hadn't fully developed. You could cut one open and see if the snake is still alive if you must know. You've already slit some eggs, so you should be able to tell.

I've had clutches die right at the end of incubation, usually with turtles. Last year I had a snake clutch where 3 hatched out, and 7 others were dead in the egg, but fully formed.

I agree, and can say I have saved a few babies by cutting eggs and probably killed a few too. It's just not something that has a definite answer concerning your best bet.
If it was my clutch I'd probably cut one and see what happens...
Some guys make a tiny slit...if I cut I kind of go for it and make close to a half inch cut in the top of the egg so yolk spills out but not so much of a cut it empties....
other guys make a slit in the egg so tiny a drop or two comes out...I suppose to bleed some yolk and let in some oxygen?
I cut until I see a snake and then poke him to make sure its alive...
This kind of thing happens when you breed snakes... dont let it get you too down...and good luck
One last thing....in this situation I have also made the incubation medium very wet since some of the clutch began to pip....I find if you peek in the box 80 times in a day when they're hatching some eggs appear to dry a bit which worries me too
Tom Stevens
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TomsSnakes.com

They started popping out on the 14th. I have a total of 10 eggs. 3 emerged yesterday which was wed. 1 emerged thursday but it was dead with his mouth gaping open. The remaining eggs had not even slit open their eggs yet. I just slit them open some. I am very concerned they will not hatch. What do I do???

Sounds like you did everything right. You waited until the first ones emerged and cut the remaining. Sometimes these things are just out of our hands. probably those left in the eggs had deformities or other problem that caused them to drown.

Check the eggs by smell. If you smell something dead you will know. Otherwise the babies should be pipping their heads out of the slits by now.

here is a pic of my daughter in zonata country last week:

and me in vegas feeding the crocs:

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www.Bluerosy.com

Are you sure that's not a security photo of you trying to steal change?
Tom Stevens
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TomsSnakes.com

anything to get to Daytona, lmao!!! Rainer, we'll be callin' you Cap'n Hook!
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Todd Hughes

>>anything to get to Daytona, lmao!!! Rainer, we'll be callin' you Cap'n Hook!
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>>Todd Hughes

I wonder why they deleted my post....I hope Rainer isn't mad and I missed it.....
It was just a joke....Hehe
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John Lassiter

"Poor planning and procrastination on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part....."