Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello,
I've got a clutch of black milksnake eggs hatching, and as occasionally happens, a couple of them came out of the egg still attached to their yolk by what I tend to think of as an umbilical cord, although the more accurate term appears to be yolk stem. I did what I always do, which is to tie them off with a bit of thread, then move the hatchlings to individual enclosures, where the cord/stem eventually dries up and falls off. Something different happened with one of the hatchlings, though... the cord/stem seems to have retracted back into its body, leaving a tiny bit of thread hanging out of its "belly button". I guess it must have had a bit of a prolapse? Has anyone had this happen to them before? I'm not sure if the thread is natural or synthetic fiber, if that makes a difference. Is there anything I can do but trim the thread, apply antibiotic ointment, and hope for the best?

Thanks,
Nate

This happens often, for whatever reason, the neonate emerges too soon and still has a little "belly button" sticking out.

I never do anything physically to it, because as you've seen, it almost ALWAYS retracts after a few days. Then after the post hatch shed, the snake's belly looks great.

Back when I used to hatch out Cali Kings, I would put the neonate in a brand new clean deli cup with a small bit of water. The water would keep the umbilical moist and it would retract in a day or so...

With my Hondos, I just keep them in moist sphagnum moss and I've never had an issue.

Since you tied it off with thread (wouldn't do that again) I would just trim it as best you can and then it should not be visible after a few sheds (maybe).

Hope this helps you out.

-Rusty

...you got it.....I used the wetted and dumped out deli-cups all the time...(balls usually)....

water rots meat....so don't use alot of water....(you can clean bones and skulls by putting them into water and changing it out everyday for a week or so?)...

yes...sometimes there will be prolapses of intestines...this is why I hate it when people guess online what to tell other people what to do....tie or cutting is bad if it's suposed to be inside the snake (intestine)...ball people get it wrong from time to time....

....cut it off and watch....all you can do now....should be ok....

.....
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........JY

Here's a picture of the hatchling I mentioned in my first post, before I trimmed the thread as described in the second...

... and here's a picture of the sixth and final hatchling of the clutch, which, per your helpful suggestions, will be spending the night in a moistened deli cup.

...wow...what a firecracker it is....light that fuse and see what happens?...

....the body should discharge the string ? I think...what's left of it anyways....

next time for sure...DISOLVING sutures....!

....good luck
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........JY

wow...what a firecracker it is....light that fuse and see what happens?

Funny. Sadly... it took a couple of seconds for me to get the joke. Might have to re-evaluate my opinion concerning my mental capabilities.

Nice little thread in any event... certainly taught me something that many of you long time breeders never think to mention as it's all too "basic".

Gerry

Thanks for the quick reply, guess I'll try that next time. I've tied the cord/stem off like this at least a dozen times over the years (including one of this little guy's clutchmates) but every other time, the knot has ended up on the outside of the snake when all is said and done. I covered the belly button area (including the protruding thread) with a gob of antibiotic ointment, pulled it out a couple of millimeters (which didn't seem to distress the hatchling), and trimmed the string as close to the ventral scales as possible. After a few seconds, the remaining millimeter of thread disappeared into the hatchling's "belly button". Hopefully that will be the end of it.

Nate I would recommend leaving hatchlings alone if they have any cord still showing at birth. Keep their container a little moist and they will lose it fine on their own, usually with in a few hours of hatching.
As far as the one with the thread hanging out of it's embilical hole. I would just leave it alone and hope it doesen't get infected inside. I wouldn't attempt to clean it and just leave it be.
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Randy Whittington

I offered a f/t pinky to "Stitch", my problem hatchling (after its two slightly older siblings refused it), and am happy to report that it's the first of the clutch to start eating. I guess we'll know in a day or two if its digestive system is fully functional!

Check out the "eyebrow" on the parietal scale... another one from this clutch has two, one on each side... don't think I've seen that before.

I think of the one with two eyebrows as Andy... for Andy Rooney of course

Good deal on Stitch... talk to you soon.

Dad/Gerry

People might think he was an andesiana hybrid... he'd get no respect!