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Longest Incubation times?

rkreptiles May 11, 2004 11:30 AM

I have a clutch of eggs that are now at day 80 in incubation. I had a problem in the first 2 weeks of temps fluctuating but they did not fluctuate too much 82-90 degrees and for about 3 weeks the temps stayed on the lower side at about 84 degrees. I was getting kind of worried as the eggs have dimpled and still no pipping. I went ahead and cut one of the eggs and there is a perfect live gorgeous baby in the egg but still seems to have a little yolk to absorb. All the eggs look good but I just wonder what is the longest anyone has had eggs incubate for?

Below are some pictures of her. She was a W/C that came in Gravid. She looks like a cross between a Ghost and A Pastel. The baby in the egg that I cut open looks (from what I can see of the body) like mom but more blushed like a super pastel. I can't wait for them all to pop their little heads out. Who knows what she was bred to and as of now it looks like she might be a new dominant mutation.




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Rob Trenor
RK Reptiles
www.rkreptiles.com
www.rkreptiles.net
www.oldworldchameleons.com
www.ballpythonmorphs.net
www.beardedragons.com

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Replies (4)

RandyRemington May 11, 2004 02:05 PM

I know with snakes that tolerate a wider range of incubation temps than we assume pythons do (such as corn and milk snakes) I've heard of some pretty extreme ranges (like 40 to 90 days). The cooler the longer, the hotter the shorter. Maybe when yours where at the cooler end they didn't really develop much (sort of hold time) and that explains your long period.

Glad to hear that your one was alive because I did have a clutch last year with some full term dead babies and I was surprised to find out that the eggs don't necessarily go rotten as quick as you would think at that temp. Apparently the fluid in the egg had sort of picked these guys. I was pretty sure they where dead after I didn't see motion through the slits I eventually made but I was waiting for them to go bad to be sure and finally gave up after several days. Surprisingly they didn't really smell any worse than eggs with live hatchlings.

rkreptiles May 12, 2004 04:34 PM

But I am still wishing they would hurry and hatch.
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Rob Trenor
RK Reptiles
www.rkreptiles.com
www.rkreptiles.net
www.oldworldchameleons.com
www.ballpythonmorphs.net
www.beardedragons.com

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poetichusky May 12, 2004 04:51 PM

Nice catch. Good Luck. She is a gorgeuous girl. Did she shed clear? Almost looks like a ghost to me.

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Cathy Hrusa
poetichusky@hotmail.com
Future Ball Python Breeder
~My Ever-growing herp Collection~
0.4 Normal Ball Pythons
1.0 Albino Green Burmese Python
0.1 Bearded Dragon
1.0 Red Eared Slider
0.1 FL Cooter
1.0 Sunburst X Blue Veiled Chameleon
0.0.2 Firebelly Toads
0.0.1 Pixie Frog

rkreptiles May 13, 2004 08:26 AM

Yes she does look like a Ghost, but she has markings and a belly pattern that look more like a pastel. We are hoping she is a co-dom instead of another new simple recessive ghost morph. By the looks of the baby still in the egg he/she looks like her but better. I have not been able to see all of him/her in the egg yet nor the others but hopefully any day now. When she arrived she had already gone through her pre-lay shed and just recently shed for the first time after laying her eggs. Only problem is my 12 year old daughter was cleaning cages that day and threw away the skin like she does from other cages when she cleans them. She said it was pure clear with no pattern but I guess I will have to wait to see the next shed or the babies sheds. As soon as the babies are out of the eggs I will post pictures of them.
-----
Rob Trenor
RK Reptiles
www.rkreptiles.com
www.rkreptiles.net
www.oldworldchameleons.com
www.ballpythonmorphs.net
www.beardedragons.com

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