Reptile & Amphibian Forums

First let me say I have always used sphagnum moss as an incubation substrate.
Some swear by it some swear at it.
Over the last several seasons I have been experimenting with much drier incubation conditions.
For seasons I would keep the humidity quite high in the containers. I didn't have air holes in the containers and would keep the substrate fairly moist.
For several seasons my hatch rate was around 87 to 88%.
Not the worst I've seen but definitely not as good as I wanted.
In'08 I decided to try something different. Still using sphagnum..I put air holes in the containers and kept the substrate as dry as possible. If the eggs didn't dimple no water was added..when water was added it was in very very small amounts and only to the very outside edges of the containers.
I had noticed in previous seasons that some of the eggs would swell larger then others. And in a lot of these instances the hatchlings would be smaller or would go to full term, or close to it, but not hatch. My thoughts were too much moister being absorb and crowding the hatchlings to a point they could grow or survive.. Just mu thoughts nothing scientific..
well, in '08, my first season to experiment I had a 97.3% hatch rate. 179 out of 184 hatch. In '09 I had a 96.5% hatch rate with 140 out of 145 hatching. I repeated the same conditions this season...sphagnum moss, air holes and dry conditions and with a total of 99 eggs I had 95 hatch with one that died shortly after birth so I would consider that 94 out of 99 for a 94.9% hatch rate. By the way...my temps ranged from around 77F. to 83F. with the average around 80.
They all hatched at around 70 to 73 days.
so from an average hatch rate of 88% to an average hatch rate of 96.2 seems like a significant improvement to me.
sorry so long but I felt some of you would be interested.
I know a lot of people swear against sphagnum moss but it works well for me and with hatch rates in the mid 90's it will be hard for me to switch.
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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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My thoughts were too much "moisture" being "absorbed" and crowding the hatchlings to a point they "couldn't" grow or survive.. Just "my" thoughts nothing scientific..
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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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Yeah I agree! I went with a much drier mix with Vermiculite this year. I did not have air holes but I am going to put small screened air holes in the future. I have always wondered if the eggs that were bloated with water makes it hard for the babies to push against the inside and cut a hole. So I agree that drier is better.
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King Snakes! Who can make a better mouse trap?
J Sierra

I'm definitely going back to sphagnum next year. I've always used it, but this year used a mix of perlite and vermiculite. I lost two black pines, 4 ball pythons, and 4 corns due to all I can figure was 'drowning'. I have never ever lost a ball python egg! Really aggravated me because it was a normal female x het pied male, a nine egg clutch, and of the five eggs hatched, I got three ringers, one with markers, and 1 normal looking. Three of the cornsnakes were upper keys, and losing black pines made me sick, too. I'm definitely using sphagnum for the larger eggs.
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Amy Claiborne

Don't let them take your wasted time. J.T.