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I don't know a whole lot about rat snakes. A friend of mine called to let me know she found a dead rat snake in her yard that was in the middle of depositing eggs. four were already out, 7 were still inside and one was half and half. I got them about 2 days after she died. the one's that were already laid are stiff/hard. the ones that were still inside feel like little watter balloons. I put them in a bucket with dirt and grass clippings. is there any chance that they will live? is it even time for them to be laying eggs? thanks for any advise. by the way, this is in west virginia, it was a black rat, and she was about 3 feet long. thanks again chris

>>I don't know a whole lot about rat snakes. A friend of mine called to let me know she found a dead rat snake in her yard that was in the middle of depositing eggs. four were already out, 7 were still inside and one was half and half. I got them about 2 days after she died. the one's that were already laid are stiff/hard. the ones that were still inside feel like little watter balloons. I put them in a bucket with dirt and grass clippings. is there any chance that they will live? is it even time for them to be laying eggs? thanks for any advise. by the way, this is in west virginia, it was a black rat, and she was about 3 feet long. thanks again chris

I would candle them. Hold them to a small bright light and see if they show blood vessels or glow red. Worse that can happen if you incubate them is that they go bad. Try keeping them where it is a regular 80 ...on top of the frig maybe. You will know in 60 days if all else fails.
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Sonya

Haven't we warned you about tampering with the structure of a chaotic system?
Mrs. Neutron

thanks for your help

Hi Chris -

I'd say there's a high probability that those soft eggs are infertile, so try candling them like the other poster suggested. Your description of the ones inside as like little water balloons rather precisely describes what rat snake infertile eggs feel and look like when they are first deposited. Some of my rat snakes who are not allowed to breed seem to have more trouble passing those infertile eggs than the ones who have fertile eggs.

-Joan