Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Do most breeders remove the mother from her eggs and incubate them in an "artificial" setting? If so, why is that?

>>Do most breeders remove the mother from her eggs and incubate them in an "artificial" setting? If so, why is that?

Yes, the main reason is for maximum survival of the eggs/neonates. You can easily view all of the eggs and remove a bad egg if needed as well as prevent a hatching from pipping into an egg above it and drowning in its siblings egg. Also, you can create optimal incubation temps and humidity in an incubator. There are probably many other reasons as well.
-----
Best regards,
AlanColesReptiles

You can also get higher production this way. If you remove the eggs as soon as they are layed, then the female can go back on food sooner and build up her reserves for the next breeding season. You get the potential for 60 days worth of additional feeding time to get her weight back up.

>>You can also get higher production this way. If you remove the eggs as soon as they are layed, then the female can go back on food sooner and build up her reserves for the next breeding season. You get the potential for 60 days worth of additional feeding time to get her weight back up.

I agree. But I have seen females eat consistently while naturally incubating. Definitely a sight you have to see to believe IMO. I personally had doubts until I saw it!
-----
Best regards,
AlanColesReptiles

I'm letting one of my girls incubate her own eggs this year. I was planning on offering her a weane rat in a week or so and see if she is interested.....

I didn't know you could feed them when I tried this some years back.

She ate like crazy after the hatch, gained back good weight and went again the next year. Also I had 100% hatch and survival rate but it was a small clutch with not much of a pile. I really think the MAIN reason it's not done more is that we keepers have trust issues and like to think we can control things better in an incubator. Maybe I’ll get my nerve up and try it again and feed this time. Hatching was sure fun to watch and I like to think the females are programed to enjoyed seeing the fruit of their labor too.

-----
Randy Remington
anyone@snakemorphs.com
www.SnakeMorphs.com
FaceBook

Excellent picture, what a great way to see all the little ones pipping while she is still coiled around the eggs. Jay
-----
JEMreptiles@gmail.com from sunny AZ.

Lots of cool Ball Pythons along with
0.0.1 Vietnamese Blue Beauty and some great Bull snakes.
1.1 Argentinian Black and White Tegus
1.0 Gotti Pitbull (Tank)
2.0 Beautiful Bengals (Stryker and Cynbad)
12 Tarantulas
Last but most Important 2.2 Children

that is extremely cool. i might like to try that this year. could you highlight a few tips or possible issues?

thanks!

-paul

I only tried it the once and didn't even know you could feed so I'm no expert. I read there is a guy in Florida who does all his clutched maternal.

My main worry was humidity as I live in a dry climate so I used the sphagnum. Also had the rack thermostat probe in her tub to try to keep the temp as steady as possible for her. She seemed to get irritated with my regular checking so I tried to leave her alone as much as possible.
-----
Randy Remington
anyone@snakemorphs.com
www.SnakeMorphs.com
FaceBook

thanks!

Artificial. You have more control over temp and humidity, and you can get the mother eating again so she can rebound faster.
-----
"What is man without the beasts?
If all the beasts were gone,
men would die from great loneliness of spirit.
For what happens to the beasts,
soon happens to men.
All things are connected."

-Chief Seattle (Duwamish Tribe)

www.youtube.com/reptilenexus

The first few years of breeding I let the moms do the incubating - it's much easier IMO. When I tried the incubator I went thru a handful of screw ups before I got the method down just right.

I think most people like the illusion of control that the incubator gives them - I will admit I do like to be able to pull the tubs out and candle my eggs constantly to see whats developing in there which is much easier to do if you don't have a momma snake sitting on them. But seeing babies popping out between moms coils is a sweet site as well.
-----
Tosha

nihil facimus sed id bene facimus