Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Had my 1st clutch of eggs incubating for 8 weeks now. 15 in the clutch but only 4-5 nice white ones. They were big an white for a majority of the time. They have slowly turned a tanish color an denting inward. I had them in perlite for most of the time. Couple weeks ago I had to change their material cause there were maggots. I have them in spagmum moss now. Thought sure they would of hatched by now if they would have. The temp has been around 82-85 in a styrofoam cooler all that time. Will they still hatch or are they no good anymore?

My female laid a second clutch couple days ago. 16 total. 8 look nice an white right now an I hope they stay that way till hatching....IF they hatch. This is the first time I've ever had snake eggs of anykind an trying hard to incubate them correctly with limited funds.

Loosing hope on the 1st clutch but keep my hopes up for the 2nd.

Average length of time for corn eggs to hatch is 60 all the way up to 80 days. You're currently around day 56, if it's been 8 weeks. The eggs often dent shortly before hatching, and sphagum moss will leech color onto the eggs.

I agree, but wanted to add that I would not use sphagnum moss for incubating eggs. I used to do it all the time "back in the day" but in recent years that eggs I've incubated in it all died. I even took a few clutches, divided them in half, and incubated one half on sphagnum moss and one half on perlite - the moss eggs didn't survive.

I still used sphagnum moss in nest boxes, but prolonged exposed seems to kill snake eggs.

Tim

Third Eye

I am using the zoo-med moss meant for use with frogs and the like, so I think that has been pretty well cooked and is pesticide and fertilizer free. All 16 of my eggs are due to hatch at any time, and I can see movement in all of them.

That's good to know. I've been using moss purchased at garden centers. I suspect that it's been treated with chemicals, thus causing eggs to not hatch. I've had a few other people tell me that when trying to hatch eggs on sphagnum moss, the entire clutch died. There may very well be a difference in the Zoo Med product (especially if it's marketed for frogs) and what garden centers are selling.

Tim

>>I agree, but wanted to add that I would not use sphagnum moss for incubating eggs. I used to do it all the time "back in the day" but in recent years that eggs I've incubated in it all died. I even took a few clutches, divided them in half, and incubated one half on sphagnum moss and one half on perlite - the moss eggs didn't survive.
>>
>>I still used sphagnum moss in nest boxes, but prolonged exposed seems to kill snake eggs.
>>
>>Tim
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>>Third Eye

I wonder why they died. I've only used sphagnum moss as an incubation substrate. What I have discovered over the last few seasons is I get a better hatch rate the drier I keep it but my eggs definitely survive. Last season and the season before I had around 97% hatch rates. This season I'm 10 for 10 so far with 86 eggs to go. It will be ineteresting to see how it goes.
Last season I had 137 out of 143 eggs hatch and the season before I had 181 out of 185 hatch. I just think the drier the better and I've done my best to work towards the lower temps. Averaging about 79 to 80. As far as I know, no spikes over 85 and no drops below 77.
The first clutch this season took 71 days to hatch..a little longer then I would like but at leat they hatched.
As soon as they shed we will see how the feed rate goes.
I thought about trying to feed a clutch straight out of the eggs but I wanted to do it with a more established captive line as opposed to this fist clutch from WC specimens.

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Corn snakes and rat snakes...No one can have just one.
"Resistance is futile"
Jimmy Johnson
(Draybar)
Draybars Snakes

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