Reptile & Amphibian Forums

new photos of my coral ghost corn and newest clutch of corn eggs laid on 4-19!

(yes, she is that pink) Coral Ghost:

Newest clutch of corn snake eggs, snow x normal (okeetee), laid 4-19!:

-cat
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My collection and herp photography

www.lowergroundreptiles.net

I like that ghost. Very nice.
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Remember, My posts are MY opinion only!
Jimmy (draybar)

Hi,

Just a word of caution....the moss that the eggs are in looks really wet. This could kill your eggs! If you haven't already, please move the eggs to moss that is just damp, NOT WET! When you take a handful of the moss you should only get a drop or two of water out of it.
You may have already done this but just in cas...I'd hate to see anyone lose any eggs!!

L8r,
Warren C.

>>Hi,
>>
>> Just a word of caution....the moss that the eggs are in looks really wet. This could kill your eggs! If you haven't already, please move the eggs to moss that is just damp, NOT WET! When you take a handful of the moss you should only get a drop or two of water out of it.
>> You may have already done this but just in cas...I'd hate to see anyone lose any eggs!!
>>
>> L8r,
>> Warren C.

Its moist, not wet. Actually, its the same way I incubated my eggs last year. Probably looks wet because the photos were taken right after I put the eggs in the moss.

-cat
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My collection and herp photography

www.lowergroundreptiles.net

Hey, glad to hear it! Good luck and I hope you have many new babies to look at in the near future!

Warren C.

The Ghost is a beautiful snake, but I was curious about the clutch...
Was that the entire clutch of eggs? 5 fertile and 2 slugs?
How old was the female that laid such a small clutch of eggs. I'm not critizing I'm just curious. I normally breed my corns at two and a half, but I know that some have bred them at 18 months, I would imagine that with such a small clutch that the snake was just a yearling? I did not realize they would or could breed that young. In Boa breeding it is normally considered unhealthy for the animal if it is bred to young (people still do it though) is that the same with the corns? My smallest clutch last year was 15 fertile with 3 slugs (first time breeder female) and all the females doubled. Do they still double clutch at that size.
I know this is a lot of questions, but I am just a curious kinda guy LOL.
Thanks for any info
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Jim Hopkins "Hoppy"
Hopkins Holesale Herps
Hopfam1@aol.com

>>The Ghost is a beautiful snake, but I was curious about the clutch...
>>Was that the entire clutch of eggs? 5 fertile and 2 slugs?
>>How old was the female that laid such a small clutch of eggs. I'm not critizing I'm just curious. I normally breed my corns at two and a half, but I know that some have bred them at 18 months, I would imagine that with such a small clutch that the snake was just a yearling? I did not realize they would or could breed that young. In Boa breeding it is normally considered unhealthy for the animal if it is bred to young (people still do it though) is that the same with the corns? My smallest clutch last year was 15 fertile with 3 slugs (first time breeder female) and all the females doubled. Do they still double clutch at that size.
>>I know this is a lot of questions, but I am just a curious kinda guy LOL.
>>Thanks for any info
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>>Jim Hopkins "Hoppy"
>>Hopkins Holesale Herps
>>Hopfam1@aol.com

There were 15 in all. 13 good eggs, and 2 duds. I couldn't fit all the eggs in one container, which is why there are two photos. That's not a "small" clutch-but its not a super-huge one, either. The female is 5 years old and 4 1/2 feet. This is only her second clutch-she gave her previous owner 17 eggs. The male was a first time breeder. I have had clutches smaller than that from older females with no duds.

-cat
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My collection and herp photography

www.lowergroundreptiles.net

Well thats what I get for figuring you were breeding a young snake LOL. Well thanks for responding anyway, but if there is anyone out there that is breeding that young, I woould still be curious to know your experience, not that I ever need to breed a snake that young, just a contiuned thirst for knowledge.
Thanks
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Jim Hopkins "Hoppy"
Hopkins Holesale Herps
Hopfam1@aol.com

>>Well thats what I get for figuring you were breeding a young snake LOL. Well thanks for responding anyway, but if there is anyone out there that is breeding that young, I woould still be curious to know your experience, not that I ever need to breed a snake that young, just a contiuned thirst for knowledge.
>>Thanks
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>>Jim Hopkins "Hoppy"
>>Hopkins Holesale Herps
>>Hopfam1@aol.com

No problem! I don't know about breeding young snakes, I usually wait until mine are at the very least 300 grams before I even think about breeding them.

-cat
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My collection and herp photography

www.lowergroundreptiles.net

I don't breed any of my corn females until they are at least 300 grams. I didn't brumate 2 of my females this year because they were only around 260 grams. I think the size matters more than the actual age and thats why I go with 300 grams. Personally I would not breed anything smaller than this because of potential health problems/complications. I have heard of some accidental breedings of young females but it is not recommended.
Last year my normal female layed her first clutch of 10 eggs, of which only 3 were fertile . I think the reason for that is because I got her in winter and she was only brumated for a month. Also it was my first time as well and I might not have put/left the male with her long enough. My female is around 440 grams now and gravid but her rear half doesn't appear to "bulge" like the gravid snakes I see in pictures where the skin is stretched. Hopefully she will lay more eggs (fertile) this year since she is larger now. She stopped eating recently and will shed in a day or two. I can't wait!

Jessica
www.scalywonders.com

dfg
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Jim Hopkins "Hoppy"
Hopkins Holesale Herps
Hopfam1@aol.com

I kind of doubt the small brumination time caused the low live egg yield. My corns haven't been bruminated at all (never even stopped eating) and my snow just laid 18 good eggs and 1 apparent dud. Her first clutch ever! Though I guess I shouldn't count my eggs before they're hatched ^-^
I'm no expert, but from what I know about biology (my major) the problem might have been the pairing? I really don't know why infertile eggs happen, but if I were to guess I'd say it was a genetic combination that turned out inviable at some intermediate stage. I've heard that in mammals about only 1/3 of fertilizations are viable. Most die and are reabsorbed early on!