Reptile & Amphibian Forums

What does one normally see when candling eggs that are 55 days old? I just candled a clutch for the first time, and while I saw tons of red veins in them all and twitching movement in the majority, I definitely couldn't make out anything that looked like a snake. It was the mothers first clutch, and all the eggs are fairly big.(about 6 cm long by an inch thick) I would sit and candle them all day for the answer as its fascinating, but I prefer to leave the eggs alone and let them develop. What should a later staged egg look like when candled? Please help

Here is a link to my friend's post on the "milk" forum that depicts what a good viable egg looks like when candled about a week or so after being laid.

You didn't see a snake inside because you were actually 'looking" though the entire hatchling as well as the egg. If you saw veins and movement, there is definitely a living neonate inside. Don't mess with them any more or turn them over etc... Leave them EXACTLY the way they were, and wait another week or two(depending on what kind and temps) and they should hatch. You do NOT want them to have to reorient, or have trouble reorienting themselves inside the egg, or even die in the process of any of this from spinning them in any way.

~Doug
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"a snake in the grass is a GOOD thing"

my website -serpentinespecialties.webs.com

...sorry..LOL!
candled egg link

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"a snake in the grass is a GOOD thing"

my website -serpentinespecialties.webs.com

Thank you! Thats what I was hoping to hear, but being a newb I'm just a little paranoid! I definitely havnt rotated them, I just use a cool LED light and hold it next to themThere all stuck together too so its hard to see, thanks for the link I will definitely check it out

Yeah I lost half a clutch of Everglades rats because the tray slip and though I caught it the eggs had rolled without me noticing. I put them back the best I could but I guess many of them had turned too far and the babies drowned or just could not cut out. I usually mark the tops of the eggs and wouldn't you know it, I forgot to on this clutch. Had I have marked them they may have lived. What really sucks is all the ones that did hatch were males!
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King Snakes! Who can make a better mouse trap?
J Sierra

>>What does one normally see when candling eggs that are 55 days old? I just candled a clutch for the first time, and while I saw tons of red veins in them all and twitching movement in the majority, I definitely couldn't make out anything that looked like a snake. It was the mothers first clutch, and all the eggs are fairly big.(about 6 cm long by an inch thick) I would sit and candle them all day for the answer as its fascinating, but I prefer to leave the eggs alone and let them develop. What should a later staged egg look like when candled? Please help

You saw what you were supposed to see when candling a fertile egg.......Sit back and wait...they will hatch.....
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John Lassiter
Poor planning and procrastination on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part...
www.coastalbendcaptivebreeding.com

Thanks, I sure will!