Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I'm a big user of the hognose forums, and don't know much about kingsnakes. My friend had his female lay some last night and he was wondering if they were still good. He's used to lizard eggs, to him these eggs look like bad lizard eggs. I think they're just fine, but I'm not really sure since I'm only familiar with hognose eggs.

Can anyone tell me if they're okay? He was worried about them being shaped funny and having wrinkles.

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3.3 Western Hognose
1.1 Ball Pythons

It's hard to be sure by the photo but they look rather soft and moist which would lead me think they most likely aren't good.
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Randy Whittington

I agree with Randy's response. Unfortunately, they look very soft, moist, and rubbery (infertile duds). Good eggs are fuller, firmer and tend to have more rounded ends. They also tend to have a whiter (but sometimes light beige) coloration and a distinct leathery texture to the shells.

~Doug

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"a snake in the grass is a GOOD thing"

serpentinespecialties.webs.com

"some are just born to troll and roll"

Agreed, they look bad. However, I don't throw them into the drink until they stink!! LOL.. It also seems that bad eggs get substrate stuck all over them while good eggs do not. Set them up and see if they rot. (which they probably will, but I have had some really bad looking eggs hatch).

Joe

Excellent point, Joe. After I posted I noticed that I didn't address that it is always best to set them up anyway and see what happens. Some that are sort of questionable looking to even a very experienced breeder have indeed gone onto hatch healthy neonates. I only toss the ones I KNOW beyond the shadow of a doubt are hopeless. As you know the bad ones won't take long to get bad and moldy and begin to have that distinct scent......arrgh!!!..

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

serpentinespecialties.webs.com

"some are just born to troll and roll"

the one year I went to remove a clutch of pueblans from the incubator that hatched a couple days before, and in the pile of pueblans was a albino and a normal cal king. I thought all 6 king eggs in there went bad, looked like they were all covered in mold, but 2 hatched anyway.

and in the pueblan clutch I sliced the remaining egg and out came a halloween-ish pueblan with no eyes... crazy stuff. too bad it drowned in the water bowl within 24 hours, but I feel like it wasn't meant to hatch out anyway, and only did because I assisted it.
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www.kingpinreptiles.com

Yeah, weird stuff happens sometimes, Mike. I have also had some REALLY bad eggs that surprisingly hatched very healthy neonates. Only difference being is that they looked very good from the beginning, but got much worse as time went on.

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

serpentinespecialties.webs.com

"some are just born to troll and roll"

I argee with the rest, those are infertiles. They are not actually eggs, but instead enlarged ovum, that have not been fertilized or shelled(final layer of calicum)

There are many types of bad eggs, but this type is usually a result of no sperm in the oviducts. Sorry

>>I'm a big user of the hognose forums, and don't know much They look bad, however there is a slight chance one or two maybe good. I have had good results candling them even on the first day. I mark the ones I think are bad with an x, and so far I have a very high rate of being correct. Take a pen light in a dark room and place the light against each egg. Good eggs will have an amber glow to them while bad eggs will glow more of a whitish yellow color.
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Disclaimer: I do keep several snakes in pairs, and some in groups. However I realize that things can go wrong, and I have to keep a close eye on those groups, to be sure they are not being adversely affected by these living conditions. Also if one happens to eat it's cagemate, it is 100% my fault, and I know the risks in advance!

What's wrong with using CAUTION?!?!?!
King Snakes! Who can make a better mouse trap?
~ Jorge Sierra www.SierraSnakes.com