Reptile & Amphibian Forums

One of my little hatching Brooksi's pipped early this morning. It promptly stuck it's head out. The pip was tiny and appeared to be to tight around the little snakes neck. He never pulled back but stayed out all day and when I returned this evening it appeared that maybe there was some swelling where the shell was strangling him. Is this possible? Anyway, I took a tiny pair of scissors and just loosened the tight area around his neck. It was difficult to get the scissors between him and the shell but when I did the little snake began to exit the egg. All appeared well until we realized that the yolk sac was not completely absorbed and the umbilicus was still attached. He dragged it thru the vermiculite and so I rinsed him off and put him in his little shoebox with heat pad and tucked him in his little cup/hide. I think he will probably be alright. Do you agree? Any advice is appreciated. Thanks.

I have also on a few occasions had to gently widen the hole in the egg around a wee snake's head/body when it looked as if they might have been having some trouble coming out or going back in.

Your little snake should be just fine, just make sure to keep him on moist paper towels so the yolk sac doesn't get stuck to anything and leave him be until he's absorbed it.
Good Luck
~Roo
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"Klaatu...Verata...Nicht--cough, cough, cough!"

Put him on damp paper towel until the umbilical cord falls off. If you put him on dry paper it can stick to the paper and pull some innards out as he crawls around. I always keep my hatchlings very humid until they go thru their first shed.

Keith
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Not being stuck half out of hte egg... but the umbilicus/yolk sac thing. Sadly I had it happen with both my clutches of eggs.. one snake from each that just didn't absorb the yolk properly.

With my cal king, it was a beautiful reverse stripe, the prettiest in the bunch. She was on damp paper towels, but still she ended up dragging her innards out and having to be put down. I was heartbroken.

With my apalachicola kings, one of the babies came out of the egg absolutely FLAMING RED with a small thin stripe instead of the blotches on her clutchmates. She was absolutely gorgeous, but to a lesser degree than the cal king, had her umbilicus (or whatever it's called) sticking out. She did absorb and seemed to be doing good. I went to give her her first meal and she had passed on.

Not to alarm you but I just wanted to give you a real-life experience from last year. Both times, of course, it was the most beautiful babies that passed on.
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~Sasheena

The little guy, of course a lavender albino, is strong and vigorous. I didn't put him on wet paper towels and I could see the cord drying and wanting to stick to the towel. I examined closely and decided to trim off the larger glob at the end and left about an inch of umbilicus. This morning the umbilicus is almost dried up and he seems no worse for the wear. He was so close to hatching anyway and he is a very large fat baby. It was his idea to exit the egg because I disturbed him making the slit a little larger. I think he will be fine. He won't be going anywhere until he feeds a couple times to make sure.