Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi

This morning I went in to check on my snakes and realised that all the heating had been turned off in my female corns viv. Thing is, this female was gravid and the temp in her nesting box had dropped to around 70 degress which is kind of room temp at night here in England. Anyway she was about to drop her eggs and infact had when I had a look. I turned all the heating back on and placed the eggs in my incubator along with another clutch thats all ready in there.

She seems fine and is warmed back up but I was wondering if the eggs might have been spoiled by their cold start. They are now incubating at 83-84 degrees on vermiculite. Anyone have any ideas as to this temp drop affecting the eggs, they all look fine and fertile at the moment.

Incase your wondering my Girlfriend acidentally turned of the heating at the mains when she turn a lamp off, she feels terrible.

Thanks for your advice.
Clem

It should be no problem at all. Even here in South FL where I live and the Corn snake is abundant and native, the temps in the spring will routinely drop into the mid 60’s in April and May (eggs laying season here in the wild) So a drop into the low 70’s would be a normal and natural event. My only question would be what do you normally keep the snakes at? They are not a tropical snake and do not need high temps, so if your night time low is in the 70’s with out heating, I would think that just room temps would be just about right for them. Obviously your temps in the winter would require heat, you live in England and the weather there can be quite cold (so I am told, By the way my youngest daughter wants to get directions to Hogwarts castle). But I would think your female and her eggs would be fine.
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Jim Hopkins "Hoppy"
Hopkins Holesale Herps
Hopfam1@aol.com

Thanks for the Advice Hoppy.

I keep the nesting box warm and humid with the use of UTH attached to a matstat at around a constant 82 degrees both day and night. The rest of the tank drops to around room temp anyway at night apart from the usual warm spot which is also heated to about the same should she want to get warmer at night. I was just a tad concerned for the eggs, but i surpose these things happen in the wild all the time. Fingers crossed it'll all be fine and eggs and snake will not be affected by their colder snap.

Im afraid I can't tell your daughter where Hogwarts is other than it's in Scotland. Although between you and me the interiors are filmed in an old abbey not to far from where I live in Bristol. It's not even the same place......

Once again, thanks for the advive.
Clem