Reptile & Amphibian Forums

How many people that have had eggs have gone the maternal incubation route? If you have used maternal incubation, what percent successful hatch rate did you have?

Also, did you do anything different or setup anything important in the cage for the mother?

Any all opinions and advice is greatly appreciated.

Thank you
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Michael
KoenigsPythons

I've only tried it once but will probably try it again this year. From what I've heard from people who do it more often it's apparently not too hard and you could probably do it a lot of different ways. I'm thinking you want high humidity (but not wet), privacy, and a fairly steady background temp. The girl I tried it with last year is out on breeding loan and I don't yet know if she will produce again this year or how well.
Page about my 2003 maternal incubation experience

Thanks Randy for the info and link to your page. Great info there!

I was curious b/c I just had a female lay a clutch of 5 eggs. I checked on her and gave a look over to check the eggs, which all seem fine so far. But after I checked on her she uncoiled around them and is slowly wandering througout the cage. I'm just hoping she will coil back around them.

Do you think she'll coil back around them? Do they have that instinct that if they get off of the eggs to get back on them?

Just curious, and anxious and of course a little nervous.

Thanks again!

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Michael
KoenigsPythons

Sorry, I don't have enough experience with maternal incubation to know how likely they are to return. It seems like someone once posted about one leaving and coming back but I don't remember the details. I guess one thing I would wonder about is why she left in the first place (i.e. double check temps as unobtrusively as possible and try to make her feel secure - if this is an aquarium cover as much as possible). Probably best to have an incubator fired up and ready to go and in case she doesn't go back soon and then start getting ready to try again next year if you like and come up with a plan to improve.

Randy, thanks again for your help and info.

I checked on her and the eggs this morning...fortunately she had crawled back around them and is nesting with them. I'll get my incubator cranking just in case.

Keeping my fingers crossed!

Thanks again,
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Michael
KoenigsPythons