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Eggs! EGGS! Everywhere! 34 Eggs!

MichHerper May 15, 2003 07:13 AM

Well this was a pleasant expected suprise. I was feeding snakes and I knew my female corn was going to lay soon so I had her nesting box all ready and as I pick up the hide to check on her I found 11 eggs. Guess I was a little late with the nesting box. I thought she was done, 11 being a decent first time clutch. So I put the eggs in the incubator. I checked on her a couple hours later and there were more. About 2 hours later I was up to 17 and really pumped. Thought I had an awesome clutch going. Also thought she was done, so I went into work real quick. Came back about 4 hours later to find another 11 eggs!!. So that brings the count up to 28. As I was going to bed I noticed a bulge near her vent so I stayed up a little longer until she popped out 2 more eggs. Went to bed with 30 eggs in the incubator. I slept well, not sure about the poor cornsnake. Woke up this morning and found 4 more eggs!!! Now I am up to 34 eggs and she is still in her laying box. I wouldn't be suprised to find 2-3 more eggs.
What is the record clutch. I remember Bill Love talking about one of his female laying 30 in one clutch and 45 in a double clutch so I know I'm not close but was wondering.

A little bio on the female. She is a 4.5ft albino female that I adopted from a local family that fed it well, kept it well but too small. Guessing it grew up in a 15 gallon do to how over weight it WAS, She had some serious fat developing around her vent, not enough that she had visible lines, but still. So I bought her for 35 bucks. The male is a normal by the way. Glad I am producing all normals. So with her being so large and over wieght I had my male at home, both are 4 yrs old, I decided to breed and take some of that fat off of her. (It worked) and try some breeding as well. 34 eggs later she looks a lot better, obviously stressed and exhausted from breeding but visibly she looks a lot better than she did. I am very proud of her.

Mating went great, I put the male in with her and within 5 minutes they were copulating. This happened everytime I introduced them, after a possitive introduction 5 times I decided to put them in the same cage and again they got right to it and got along well in the same cage. SHe stoped eating for a couple weeks so I figured she was gravid. Then she shed 11 days ago definite plus. And then yesterday she laid all of those eggs.

I am incubating them on spagnum right now, all I had at the moment. Will have them on vermiculite soon with 90 percent humidity at 85 degrees.

Does anyone have any advice or suggestions?

From what I can see 24 look fertile, 10 look like slugs but I'll give it time.

Thanks,
Jeff

Replies (9)

Shaky May 15, 2003 07:22 AM

Don't know what the record is, but 34 is a TON!
Maybe it helps to make the female huge and fat first, huh? 'Course, as you mentioned, there is a high percentage of slugs.
Well, congrats, and good luck.
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...and I think to myself, "What a wonderful world."

MichHerper May 15, 2003 07:26 AM

It may help but unfortunatly if done wrong I'm sure it can do a lot of damage too. But 24 good eggs isn't bad. I can't wait to get home and see if she laid anymore eggs.

Jeff

Shaky May 15, 2003 07:36 AM

I was just kidding about getting them too overweight.
I don't blame you for wanting to rush home. Exciting stuff!
Have a great day, and I hope you get 10 more.
-----
...and I think to myself, "What a wonderful world."

MichHerper May 15, 2003 07:39 AM

.

Clint Boyer May 15, 2003 08:07 AM

She has always laid 30 or so eggs in her clutches but this year she laid 36 good eggs and retained 2 which were later expelled but not good.
Seems to me that someone has had a clutch of 40 or 41 before, I don't know what the record is but I'd bet it's not much more then that.

Clint Boyer

MichHerper May 15, 2003 11:30 AM

I remember in Bill and Kathy Loves book they talked about one female who double clutched laying 30 oin one clutch and 45 in another. Thats the most I have ever heard of.

Too bad all 34 weren't fertile, but for the first time breeding for both male and female I think it's a plus.

Jeff

M.E May 15, 2003 12:28 PM

My female laid about 28 eggs a couple of days ago. All fertile and goog. I´m so proud Last year she laid "just" 24.

Amanda E May 15, 2003 01:50 PM

I'd lower the temp a bit, to about 82. It will take a bit longer for them to hatch, but you wont have to worry as much about getting kinked snakes.

Kathy Love said in the Corn Snake Manual that there was a 5 yr old 4.5' amelanistic cornsnake that laid 53 eggs in 1 clutch will all but 1 or 2 being fertile. This same female was known to double clutch and produced up to 75 eggs in one year counting both clutches.
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alstiver@hotmail.com

1.0 '01 hypo snow
0.1 '02 ghost (pastel)
1.1 '02 bloodred

mlpetros May 15, 2003 10:26 PM

I agree with the prior post, 85 degrees can cause problems.They`ll do fine @ 80-82 degrees.Congrats on a nice clutch

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