Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Wow. What can I say? I've followed all the advice I could get my hands on, worried over the snakes wanting to procreate, worrying over my female cali: would she become eggbound for breeding young (but HUGE)? Then the eggs were laid and I was concerned, they looked so UGLY and so far from perfect. They COULDN"T be fertile, I just HAD to set myself up for dissapointment. When my Blotched king (after I went through the same agonization) laid 8 eggs, I finally got a flashlight. The king snake eggs were day 35, the blotched kings day 1, and with the help of a flashlight, I could see VEINS in each and every cal king egg! So then I worried over humidity, over temperature, over time. I hoped they would be born today (my step-daughter's 17th birthday) and sure enough, I was peeking on the eggs, when my step-daughter said "A HEAD!!!" and sure enough, the first of the little hatchlings had pipped! Ooooh... this is so GREAT. Way back in the fall of '01 when I got my first snakes with the hopes of experiencing this, it seemed So long I would have to wait. And now here I have little snakelings. I'm so so so excited. Anyway, I'll stop rambling. More pictures to come!

-----
~Sasheena

Wish List:
0.1 adult Whitewater Rosy Boa
1.0 CB Spilotes Pullatus
1.0 Jungle Carpet Python

Can't wait to see the babies after they have emerged!!!!!!!!!!

Kerby...

Congrats!!!
That's awesome!
I hope they all hatch out for you.
Good job.
Dean A. on the Indigo Forum has baby c.b. Spilotes available.

Bobby

Congrats on the babies!

I noticed Eastern and Brooksi Kings are absent from your wish list. Ill tell you ya havent lived until you own one or both of these Kings LOL.

Keith

Hey my hubby already thinks I spend too much time raising mice to feed the snakes, and now raising snakes, which need more mice.... since we don't have a dishwasher, he says we have ENOUGH.... BUT, we get the new house with the new dishwasher end of July SO... perhaps I could get a couple of each of those kinds. It's fun having the three different varieties I have now. AND I have some credit with a florida breeder, so perhaps I'll choose an eastern or brooks king instead of the corn I was planning on.

But for the moment... gotta focus on these lil' hatchlings! They are SO CUTE
-----
~Sasheena

Wish List:
0.1 adult Whitewater Rosy Boa
1.0 CB Spilotes Pullatus
1.0 Jungle Carpet Python

I have had a few cali's over the years but never any Brooksi's
and have never even seen an adult eastern. How do they compare to
cali's as far as size temperment and husbandry?

Congrats hun, didn't think it would be long after your last post that they'd start for you. And what a day for it, what a reat!
My eggs incubated at a steady 82F hatched on exactly 60 days as well, although this year I'm dropping the temps a couple degrees as I really, Really, REALLY need some more females in this family, lol.
Have fun, will be looking forward to more baby pics.

Are you implying that if you incubate your eggs at a lower temp that you will get females? Not so in snakes.
Cheers.

Kerby...

Well since I've had nothing but males from this particular female for the last 3 breedings, and at this point she's my only viable female breeder, I figured it was worth a try.
Besides the fact it has been suggested to me by several different people. *sigh*, It's not going to hurt anything to incubate at a couple degrees cooler, so why not give it a shot...and just pray (whether due to the cooler temp or a miracle lol) that there's at least one female in the bunch this time.
And I know it's not the male, because her first breeding was with a different and completely unrelated snake. Any ideas why she's throwing all boys? Or does she just have something against girls maybe? lol

Just as long as you know that incubation temps have no affect on kingsnake sex ratios.

Kerby...

Well I've been the MOST impatient now that they've begun to pip.

Actually only the one has pipped. It has had its nose poked out for some time, and now the whole head is poked out. A couple of the eggs are starting to "deflate" and I'm SO IMPATIENT

But hey, it's all fun.

On a disturbing note... my step kids have been here a week, and my step son (10 years old) must have been peeking at the eggs when nobody was watching. The Blotched king eggs were all out of position and at least one has been turned. (I didn't mark them as to the "top" since I didn't plan on messing with them, but it's got a lot of "Vermiculite speckles" on it) and the four loose eggs have been moved quite a lot. So I can only keep my fingers crossed that they will be okay. Luckily four of the eight eggs are in a clump and couldn't as easily be turned, same with teh just-hatching cal kings... all one big clump. Gonna give the kids a lecture later telling them how easy it is to kill baby snakes in the egg with improper handling.
-----
~Sasheena

Wish List:
0.1 adult Whitewater Rosy Boa
1.0 CB Spilotes Pullatus
1.0 Jungle Carpet Python

Sasheena,
When the eggs were laid how did you incubate them?
did you high shelf on a rack system or did you use an incubator like a hovabator?

thanks,
john

I just put them in a rubbermaid, four holes drilled, moist vermiculite, digital thermometer (and two others inside, including hygrometer). They were mostly at 80.1 to 82.4 degrees, pipped in 60 days, last baby snake came out of the egg on day 65. The Blotched clutch is being incubated in the same way, only the minimum temperature is a little higher, as is the maximum (it's been a steady 109 degreees outsidde every day this week here in Phoenix). Since we've had baby snakes to LOOK at the kids have almost forgotten about the other clutch of eggs which won't even hatch while they are here visiting anyway. So far the eggs seem to be doing good, and I am keeping my fingers crossed that they will all hatch.
-----
~Sasheena

Kingsnakes
2.4 plus 5.1.2 hatchling Cal Kings
1.1 Blotched Kings
0.1 AZ Mountain Kings
1.2 Cornsnakes
0.1 Tiger Rat Snake
0.1 Jungle Carpet Python
1.0 Rosy Boa
0.0.7 Sonora Semiannulata

Thanks for the advice. Did you drill the wholes in lid or the shoe box? its gonna be a while before I breed them. I want to learn everything about them I can so I can do it right.

laterz,
john

;