Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I've heard from one breeder of eastern indigos that sunlight is required for proper calcification of eastern indigo eggs. I've heard that indigo eggs should be more calcified than the average snake egg and that the surface should appear "granulated".

How much of this is true?

Must indigos be exposed to sunlight in order to successfully produce them?

Indigo eggs are covered in calcium deposits...they feel like they are coated with sandpaper.

If they are not like this, typically they are infertile.

As for the sunelight...short answer, no way.
Now LIGHT cycles are important in my opinion. They recognize the fall breeding season as the days get shorter, but artificial light can be used.

I have never heard any successful indigo breeder say that they needed natural sunlight, and I've been breeding them for almost 10 years and have never used.

Hope this helps.

Have you witnessed consistent production of fertile eggs using your protocol? This particular breeder argued that lack of exposure to sunlight will cause a high incidence of both infertile eggs and fertile eggs that ultimately fail to hatch. (NOTE: his argument applied only to couperi)

So nobody's heard of any research or has any experience to support this claim? If not, then w/o independent verification, I suppose I'll have to lean toward not accepting it.

I have been breeding Eastern Indigos for as little over ten years.And keeping them for longer than that. I have experimented with broad spectrum bulbs dureing this time, and noticed NO appreciable difference in either health, egg production, or lifespan. I am not discrediting the Hypothesis that exposure to direct sunlight yields better egg production, it is just that I have never used it, and have had a good deal of fairly decent egg production and hatch rates over the years. Personally, I wouldn't use it, nor the broad spectrum bulbs, they made no difference in my groups health or reproduction whatsoever.

*Cheers*

Fred Albury

Thanks for the info... that's good enough for me.

usually I am very reluctant to shoot down another idea, as I can only say what has worked for me.

I have had an extemely high fertility rate over many years without using sunlight. 2 years ago I had clutches of 12, 15, and SIXTEEN (the largest clutch from couperi I have heard of)

and a clutch of 8 erebennus.

of those, only 4 eggs were infertile (one each from the 15 and 16 clutches, and 2 from the erebennus clutch)

Fred is also one of the more accomplshed breeders of couperi.
I rarely ever say this, but you can quote me on this,

"that claim is hogwash!"

Dean Alessandrini