Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I went to check on my one of my wild caught rat snakes today and guess what i found. 13 Little white eggs. but there is a problem I have never had eggs before so i naver ahad an incubater so if anyone knows how i can set one up fairly qiuck i would appreciate it
THANX,
DANIEL JARVIs

daniel, no incubator needed. they only need be set halfway in some damp vermiculite in a plastic shoebox w/ a little ventilation aka several pre drilled holes in the box. in about 70 days you'll have a brand new clutch of babies that will aggressively feed on f/t pinks if offered but esp. live pinks if so ordered. simple as that! just place the eggs wherever in your house that hits about 80* dth and get ready for some really pissed off baby snakes in about 2 months hence. LOL! congrats and good luck!

I put them into a shoebox with some paper towels then i misted them but where can i get some vermiculite
I really appreciate your reply
Daniel jarvis

sorry "sweaterbox" not a shoebox

vermiculite...home depot. in a big ass bag though..look in outside garden by the fertilizer area. it's pretty cheap.
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The reason mainstream thought is thought of as a stream is because it's so shallow. -Unknown

Vermiculite isn't easy to find in small bags. Check around local garden centers in your area. I had to visit several before finally finding a place that carried it in small bags.

Be careful misting the eggs. It can promote mold. It's better to set up the box with moistened vermiculite (1 to 1 ratio of water to vermiculite by weight) and place the eggs halfway into the moist material. When relocating the eggs, try your best to keep the eggs in the same orientation as far as which side is up. If the vermiculite dries out, you can add a little water to the vermiculite. But everything I've read says it's better not to moisten the eggs directly.

Good luck!
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MichaelB

i agree!! don't let water ever directly touch the eggs. sometimes i'll lightly spray the sides of the boxes but more usually just add a little water to the vermiculite. it need only be damp. paper towels will also work but you may have to change them once or twice.......

thank all of you for the replies i went to home depot but they didnt have any so i tried lowes and they had a small bag so i got it and the eggs look great

THANX,
DANIEL JARVIS

wat part of the country do you live in? I work in the home depot garden center in panama city fl and we sell that stuff in thes huge freakin bags. if i ever get to that point though i may resort to lowe's
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The reason mainstream thought is thought of as a stream is because it's so shallow. -Unknown

I live in texas the snake was a wildcaught individual but i went to lowes . home depot didnt have any so i had t oresort to lowes