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Hi, have a clutch of eggs of Elaphe obsoleta rossalleni and I want to know what is the optimum temperature for incubation. I have them at 85F, is this OK? THANKS

Augusto

I don't have tons of data to help you here but I tell what I have seen work - room temp to slightly warmer. I was initally advised by a large breeder that 82 degrees was perfect. After that, I also discovered that temp control wasn't a magic answer. In the wild, the eggs are subjected to a wide variety of temps during incubation. If tight temp control and specific temps were required, we wouldn't have many left in the wild. I actually have gotten to a point where I stick them on a closet shelf without supplemental heat. The temp ranged from 73-80 degrees and worked like a champ. The most common temp was about 77. I know of a major breeder who does the same thing. That person hatches many dozens per year and has shown no change in hatching success from trying to maintain a tighter temp range.
Alright, I know these last two answers just opened the door to a lot of stunned responses but they work. Sue me, I'm non-traditional.

>>I don't have tons of data to help you here but I tell what I have seen work - room temp to slightly warmer. I was initally advised by a large breeder that 82 degrees was perfect. After that, I also discovered that temp control wasn't a magic answer. In the wild, the eggs are subjected to a wide variety of temps during incubation. If tight temp control and specific temps were required, we wouldn't have many left in the wild. I actually have gotten to a point where I stick them on a closet shelf without supplemental heat. The temp ranged from 73-80 degrees and worked like a champ. The most common temp was about 77. I know of a major breeder who does the same thing. That person hatches many dozens per year and has shown no change in hatching success from trying to maintain a tighter temp range.
>>Alright, I know these last two answers just opened the door to a lot of stunned responses but they work. Sue me, I'm non-traditional.

I incubated mine on top of a VCR.
I had heard of people incubating on shelves, VCRs, televeisions and refrigerators so I set up the incubation box a couple of weeks in advance and placed it on top of the VCR.
The temps ranged between 78 to 82 so I went with that.
Other then my own mistake of letting the substrate dry out a little too much under a clump of eggs, things went well.
I will incubate on top of the VCR again in the spring.
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Corn snakes and rat snakes..No one can have just one.
"resistance is futile"
Jimmy (draybar)

The extra heat from the electronics would give you a few extra degrees above room temp. For what its worth, I have heard of successful hatchings at temps as low as cool room temp - they just took a little longer.