In a conversation w/Rex Knight yesterday I learned that the moellendorffi eggs are even harder/thicker than the taeniura. This is a very interesting topic. There is something going on here concerning the ecology of egg incubation in the tropics of East Asia.
I know from studying the climate of Eastern Asia and s.e. Asia that summers are extremely warm and humid. These snakes must put their eggs in places where they won't overheat and dessicate. They have pretty long incubation periods, I believe. There could be a problem with incubating at too high of temperatures and speeding up the process. Hatchlings that aren't robust enough would not have the strength to open the egg shells (possibly, incubation times are too long also). So, I think we need to look at incubation temps first and adjust so that hatchlings become as strong as possible at pipping time.
Rex told me that his moellendorffi babies have a hard time getting out of the eggs too. I believe he waits until he sees the first one breaking out and then opens the remaining eggs.
Last year when my taeniura hatched, I was not at home. They hatched the day before I checked them. The babies were very healthy and the two that hatched first pushed the top off of the box they were in and escaped. I have a different set-up this year...
I plan to be home when they hatch too..haha. This set-up is simple, but it has worked for me (similar to last year, but a better box). I'm careful to not let the temp get above 82*F. Last year I was gone for a week and the temps fell to high 70's-low 80's for a week before hatching. I believe the incubation period was about 60 days. But this is with t. taeniura. It would be longer with other ssps of taeniura and the other more southerly species. Lower temps might not be the answer for all sps, but I believe incubation time periods have an influence on how much vitality the hatchlings will have, along with other factors.
The humidity is easy to control in this set-up also. I was careful to not let it get too humid. We don't want the eggs to be wet. I used small-size vermiculite with a little perlite mixed in to make it more porous and drier on top. The medium was only slightly moist on top, but there was still enough moisture below (medium up to three inches deep) to keep the box with a high humidity, probably over 80% the whole time.
I'm not sure if this info will help with incubating moellendorffi, oxycephala, etc, but I think it's a start in the right direction. I will keep all the info/pictures, etc, sent to me, so I can help in the process of solving this problem, even though I don't keep moellendorffi anymore, or Gonyosoma sps. I would like to see the successes of other breeders in this area and will keep you all posted on the breedings I do have with taeniura, mandarina, etc.
Good luck...TC
>>I thought the same when I saw the eggs, they have the same shape and the same texture of my oxy eggs. In 2002 I had 4 infertile eggs, last year 4 eggs, 2 fertiles: a fully formed baby dead in a eggs and a other died a day after after a cut in the eggs. I think there are problems of incubation, the eggs seem too much thick for the hatchling to go out.
>>i hope to find pics of my eggs
>>regards
>>nazzza
>>
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Ratsnake Haven: South Korean Dione's ratsnake, bimaculata phases, mandarina locales, calico and hypo taeniura, Western and Southern Plains ratsnakes 
