Reptile & Amphibian Forums

One of my kingsnake eggs came out not completely finished.

IMG_7673 by RossAZ480, on Flickr

A little while later it grew mold over "nipple" lol, so I washed it off and this is what it looked like.

California kingsnake eggs by RossAZ480, on Flickr

IMG_7687 by RossAZ480, on Flickr

The mold is back.

IMG_7694 by RossAZ480, on Flickr

Not that I'm surprised or anything, but I was wondering, since the shell seems to be thinner in that area, might I wear a hole in it if I continue cleaning it off? Or could the mold be eating away at the shell? Its probably not a big deal, but its my first "nipple" hahaha and I'm not sure how to take care of it. This has to be my most ridiculous post ever.

BTW, this is mom and dad.

IMG_7627 by RossAZ480, on Flickr
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It will hatch fine if the mild did not affect the inside of the shell. Sometimes the embryo will stick to that area because it dries out....
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John Lassiter
Poor planning and procrastination on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part...

Thanks, John. Yeah, hopefully it didn't affect the inside.
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I hate t say it does not look like it will produce a healthy baby. It is okay to have mold or the bulging nipple efect. But when they turn yellow and dead like that it effects the embryo.

i wouldn't throw it away though. but if you have a problem with knats I would put it in a seperate container away from the other eggs and just wait.
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"2. How many eggs could a 20 inch king even make, if even possible? Remember, they have lungs, a stomach, etc,

Billy (DISCERN)

Oh no, doesn't sound good. Luckily I'm not having problems with the gnats this year. I will keep it and let you all know how it went.
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Ross,....get an old toothbrush, or a cheap new one at the store and gently clean it off with the brush. Then powder a bit of anti-fungal foot powder to the end that was molded. Do this as needed every once in a while if you see it coming back like that. I have had some CRAPPY looking ends on a few eggs in the past, and when it is only on one end like that, the rest that is in good condition seems to be enough for the embryos to stay healthy and hatch just fine most of the time.

Check this nasty looking egg out that hatched a perfectly healthy Hondo a few years ago. The end was bulged out on one end and hard and black, but it hatched out healthy as ever (hatchling in far corner of photo.LOL!

How long ago was the moldy egg laid?

~Doug

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"a snake in the grass is a GOOD thing"

serpentinespecialties.webs.com

Thanks, Doug. The eggs were laid about a month ago. She laid them after just 25 days. Could that be a reason why the egg came out like that? And you're talking about taking of the mold with a dry tooth brush using no water?
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Correct....a dry toothbrush with no water, then powder the end.

I will also say that there is a good chance that entire egg could go bad. With my nasty egg (in photo), it was bulged and began molding at the end, but was not yellow with the "dead" look. Still though, I would definitely not toss it and give the powder a try. You will know if it is getting worse when the egg starts getting completely over-taken and changing color and obviously going bad.

After my nasty one I showed hatched, I looked inside the egg and the inner walls were totally un-affected and looked and felt just like the rest of the inside.

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

serpentinespecialties.webs.com

Here's a new photo, just taken. I'll try the powder. I candled the egg and you can clearly see the veins running through it. The yellow area is kind of hard, but still a little flexible. So, maybe its alive right now, but might die later?

IMG_7702 by RossAZ480, on Flickr

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Yeah, It definitely looks like it started out very viable (and probably still is so far), and the veins you mentioned certainly prove that. All you can do now is do what you can do with the powder on the end and hope for the best..

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

serpentinespecialties.webs.com

Yes, that's what I'll do. What's the purpose for keeping the fungus off the egg? Does that stuff poison the egg?
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Yeah, I think fungus likely starves the egg surface of needed oxygen too, as well as rots it up and kills the tissue it feeds on. Whatever the case is, you don't want it around unless you are growing your own penicillin or making cheese..LOL!

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

serpentinespecialties.webs.com

hahaha OK, thanks for the tips.
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You know Doug...It would be nice to maybe start making some provolone cheese off of kingsnake eggs, for my homemade pizzas...

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Genesis 1:1

Yeah, it already looks like you got a whole bunch of snake poop on there, might as well add the fungus/mold too..LOL!

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

serpentinespecialties.webs.com

Freshly cooked snake poop, I might add!
HA HA HA!
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Genesis 1:1

candled the rest of my eggs and they all glow this orangish color with red veins, but one glows yellow with no veins. I thought an infertile egg would have went bad by now. Its been a month.
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Yeah, the one's that glow yellow with no veins are infertile. They usually take quite a while to get noticeably bad outside because of the very reduced amount of air to make bacteria. Eggs are porous and oxygen does get in, but it takes a while to look bad. Pretty soon (if not already) you will notice it having a different scent than the other good ones, even though it might still "look" pretty good. Still, as long as it isn't nasty yet and OBVIOUSLY bad, or jeopardizing any of the other eggs nearby, keep it until there is NO question at all that it is no good. Just don't let it foul the good air in the small container if it gets anything close to being that bad. Again, you will learn what the weird "musky" smell of a bad one smells like compared to the good ones even if they don't outwardly look so bad yet.

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

serpentinespecialties.webs.com

OK thanks, Doug. I just put my nose up to it and it smells just like the other eggs, but it is noticeably yellow when you candle it. Maybe it will go bad later or maybe it will surprise me.

Hey, got this kid always writing to me for advice and he has his friend incubating his Cal king eggs at 86ºF. I told him that was a little warmer than what people suggest. Could that be harmful?
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Heck YES it could be harmful!. At the very least it could cause kinks or other major deformities. I would go for around 79 to 80 degrees personally, this way it allows a slight "buffer zone" if temps should spike a bit higher for any number of reasons. 86 and above is just asking for trouble. Certain colubrids have (and can) hatch out at these higher temps, but it is not wise to target those kind of temps when you have a choice and could just as easily set them lower.

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

serpentinespecialties.webs.com

I had already started typing before you posted. It's hard to beat you to the draw. lol
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Randy Whittington

...yeah, we are definitely on the same page in regards to colubrid incubating temps, Randy. 86 is at the very extreme outer limits of even being hopeful as I'm sure you'll agree..

I hope they aren't all screwed-up (or dead) because of those temps....geez!

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

serpentinespecialties.webs.com

If the temps were that high only briefly I wouldn't worry too much about it with california kingsnakes but if they stay that high for any extended period of time I would definalty be concerned.
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Randy Whittington

Thanks, Doug. I'm glad I asked, but I don't think this kid is going to do anything about it. He seems to be not so much on the bright side for 15. I suggest things to him, and he turns around and does something different. He's asked questions related to breeding, so I give him a link to a page on my website that will explain everything in more detail than I would wish to write back in a PM. Later he asks the same freakin questions. lol I don't know if he's just lazy or stupid. His replies on other forums would indicate he is not to bright for his age or a troll passing him self off as a kid. That has crossed my mind several times. lol He says his friend is a Hog nose breeder with several different morphs. This guy is going to incubate his Cal king eggs for him. This kid told me they were going to be incubated at 86º. Maybe that's the temp the hog nosed are set at. I don't know. I'll pass the info on to him and let him take it from there.
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Yeah, I can relate. Seems pretty typical for sure. He's probably a combination of both, Ross.

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

serpentinespecialties.webs.com

Ross I incubate most species of colubrid eggs including kingsnakes between 77-80 degrees. I personally wouldn't want my temps to get over 82 degrees. Colubrids eggs take an extra week or so to incubate when kept at the cooler temps but they hatch out more robust and you generally don't see the left over yolk that you often see when they hatch out at higher temps.
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Randy Whittington

Thanks a lot, Randy. I will pass along this information. Read the reply I leave Doug for more info on this kid. lol
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I know you know this, but it is surprising as well what eggs can withstand.

I have seen clutches of kingsnake eggs covered completely in astro-turf mold that a buddy of mine had once, all hatch. It was kinda cool looking! HAHA!!
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Genesis 1:1

LOL Yeah, I've heard that before. They can look absolutely horrible and still hatch. I haven't been breeding kings for very long, so this will be a good learning experience.
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Tinactin works well....
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John Lassiter
Poor planning and procrastination on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part...

"Tinactin works well"

Yeah, I heard it is pretty "tough actin'"..LOL!!

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"a snake in the grass is a GOOD thing"

serpentinespecialties.webs.com

You call that a nipple? Check out these corn snake eggs from last year.

Seriously, I hope the suggestions you've gotten work for you, Ross. Looking forward to seeing those babies.

--Dennis

Hey Dennis, we have young people on this forum, lol. That almost looks .....never mind.
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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

hahahaha Now that's a nipple! Thanks, Dennis. I will post everything after they hatch.
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Ross, I don't know if you have any vermiculite, but when I get eggs like that I cover the side, or end with vermiculite, and it seems to keep the mold from growing. If the egg is fertile it can still hatch.
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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

I don't have any on hand, but I'll try to get some. Thanks, sounds like a good idea.
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