Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Till now 10 babies...
...but I've other 13 eggs in incubator !

The secret is to incubate the eggs not very humid...

Ruggero

http://utenti.quipo.it/palawan/mini1.JPG

Hola Roger,
you haven't spilotes, you have chickens!
Compliments
ciao
nazzza

Ciao, Nazzza, thanks to you!

One by one, new species of wildlife are added to the growing list of captive breedables, and it's the efforts of people like you that make this hobby not only possible, but increasingly ethical for us all. Rock on.

.

Congratulations, Ruggero...good job. Have they all shed and fed yet?

Of the first clutch (4 babies) all have shed, but only 3 accepted living ore dead baby mouses.
The second clutch (6 babies) must shed.

Congrats! I should be so lucky.
What did you do, and what do you mean by low humidity?

How are the babies, what has their feeding response been?

Colors? Are they close to the adults?

Joe

Thanks for you interest !

- How are the babies, what has their feeding response been?
Of the first 4 hatchlings, 3 have eaten baby mouses after the first shed.
One still hasn't eaten, and I've forced fed it once with a lubricated mouse tail.
The other 6 hatchlings of the other female still have to shed.

- Colors? Are they close to the adults?
The babies are a little bit "darker" ("duller" than the adults, but some of them have orange colors that the adults don't have.
But the orange and yeollow streaks are less "clear" and distinct then in adults.

- What did you do, and what do you mean by low humidity?

Sorry, this question...

If the eggs swells to much during incubation because of too high substrate humidity, the full term babies can die in their eggs.
Substrate humidity must be kept very low, air humidity is not a big danger as substrate humidity: the eggs must swell only a little during the first period of incubation or not swell at all... and 20-30 days before hatching date (75-80 days at 27 °C in my case) they must begin to lose water and to shirvel a little.
The babies, in this case, will hatch !

R.

Congratulations Ruggero!
Well done; how long are the babies; i've heard they're rather large, when hatched.

Another question 'bout the humidity:
Does ist mean, that your incubate on rather dry sustrate?
What substrate did you use? (Sorry if you wrote ist somewhere)

What incubator did you use, I guess you built your own?

Do you increase humidity only when the eggs start shrinking a bit, or when?

have a nice weekend watching the babies,
Martin

- Well done; how long are the babies; i've heard they're rather large, when hatched.
The babies are large... but no huge... I would say big like Elaphe situla babies or taeniura babies... 40 cm ? 45 cm ?
I don't know exactly....

- Another question 'bout the humidity:
Does ist mean, that your incubate on rather dry sustrate?
Yes

- What substrate did you use? (Sorry if you wrote ist somewhere)
"Cotton" filter for acquarium.... I don't know the english name... glass-fiber in italian... it's like cotton, white... but you must rinse and rinse it well before use....
It's rather dry when I use it... not very moist....

- What incubator did you use, I guess you built your own?
Yes: I use the "acquarium" type incubator, with two termostats: one in the water (acquarium type) and one for the air/eggs temperature. It's very good.

- Do you increase humidity only when the eggs start shrinking a bit, or when?

Nooo !
The eggs must deflate and shrink at the end of incubution: otherwise it's likely that the babies will drown in their eggs...

Thanks and best regards !

Ruggero

http://utenti.quipo.it/palawan/HQ1.JPG

Hi ruggero!
Thanks for the answer.

>Nooo !
>The eggs must deflate and shrink at the end of incubution:
>otherwise it's likely that the babies will drown in their eggs..

What I meant was not the end of incubation, but the beginning; I meant what signs you use, or when you know that it is too dry;

But since you use the aquarium-type it's much clearer now.

Is it right that you moisten the incubation-substrate only before you put the eggs in it, and not during inc., and that the whole humidity comes from the air?

Hope you understand what I mean, my english is not the best.

Martin (from the neighborhood, Austria)

- Is it right that you moisten the incubation-substrate only before you put the eggs in it, and not during inc., and that the whole humidity comes from the air?

Yes, you've right understood !

Till soon!

R.

Okay, thanks.

Hope my pair will produce some eggs soon.

gurkee

...first, congratulations on your successful hatch. You may want to try larger live mice, like large fuzzies, or "hoppers". My baby Spilotes have always responded better to moving prey and often ignore pinky mice that do not move around. Try pinching the tail of a baby mouse to get it to run around. Baby Spilotes often can't resist this!

I have hatched spilotes successfully for several years. Recently with my Drymarchon, I discovered that the eggs hatch sooner when exposed to lower humidity.

I agree that the substrate that the eggs rest on should be relatively dry.

But...with my Spilotes I have always kept them humid, and I never noticed any shriviling or denting of the eggs.

I have had close to 100% hatch rate, and the eggs were always very plump and round right up to hatch. Notice in this photo the eggs are still very round and "full" looking.

I suppose different methods acheive the same results...

Good luck with the youngsters!

Dean Alessandrini

Ruggero:

First let me say congratulations on the successful hatch! You may want to try larger young mice (large enough to run around) on the more stubborn feeders. My baby Spilotes always like large, moving prey, and can eat as large as small adult mice right out of the egg!

They often ignore pinky mice that don’t move around much, but seem not to be able to resist mice that move around. I even pinch the tails to get them to run around before putting them in with baby Spilotes.

As for the humidity issue:

I agree that the substrate that the eggs lie on should be relatively dry, but I have always kept my Spilotes eggs very humid. I have had close to 100% hatch rate, and my eggs never “shrivel” as you describe.

Notice in this photo that these eggs are hatching and are still round, plump and full.

I suppose different methods can achieve similar results. I will bet that your eggs hatched sooner than mine though…how many days did they incubate?

Good luck with them!

Dean Alessandrini

np

Thanks Dean !

I've made this supposition about humidity after two dead babies last year: I had only 2 fertile eggs, they were kept humid, swelled very much (your eggs are not so swollen) and the two babies died...

This year I lost 2 full term babies, and they were in the eggs closer to the substrate, which swelled too much and were very big because of substrate humidity...

So I've made my thoughts.
It's not necessary that the eggs shirvel... but: if the more superficial eggs shirvel a little at the end of incubation (the ones not in contact with the substrate) you can be sure that the eggs closer to the substrate have not absorbed to much water during incubation... these will not shirvel, but the babies will hatch!

I've kept my clutch at 27 °C: 26-26,5 during night (absolut minimum 24,5-25); 28-28,5 during day (absolut maximum 29-29,5).

The first baby began to hatch at 75 day of incubation, the last at 80 day of incubation (I can tell you wrong of 1 day or so, but about 75 days-first and 80 days-last could be considered the reality...).

I hope this helps !

Till soon !

Ruggero