Reptile & Amphibian Forums

hy i am alex from italy,
i am starting with houndurans and at the moment my trio is in ibernation. i want to be prepared so i want to be sure my incubator will be ok for the moment. can you tell me the range of temperature and the amount of water vs vermiculite?

many thanks

alemoz

p.s. it will be probably a discussion that you have done many times...i've tried a search but found nothing

Hey Alex,

I remember several years ago when I was so excited about my first breeding season and I can understand your anxiousness of preparing the incubator even if it will not be needed until at least in May. Usuaully in honduurans when they come out of brumation on march 1, it will take some time to fatten them up, have the 1st shed happen, then mate them during the 1st 2 weeks after 1st shedding, then wait 28-45 days for internal egg developement, and then toward the end of this internal egg development period or this pregnancy, the female will do her pre-egg laying shed, and then lay the eggs after about a week. When the said "pre-egg laying" shed occurs, this is the time you prepare for the incubator and turn it on with the desired temperature with the moistened vermiculate in a plastic container in inside the incubator so that the medium will have the correct temperature too. Most of the egg laying will take place in the month of May ... so as you can see, it is way to early to turn on your incubator as you are just gonna waist electricity. But if you want to test the incubator, the desired constant temperature range of 74-82F seems ideal as I have never had problems with that range at all. Temperatures over 87 should be carefully avoided and eggs incubating as low as 65-70 will hatch successfully but will take time.

Oh, and the answer to your other question is the moistend vermiculite recommended ratio is 1:3/4 (vermiculite to water) by weight.

Hope I answered all your questions.

later...

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RAY

hy,
many thanks for the answer. As you wrote i am thinking i have done something wrong. so this is my question: i have put the animal down on the first of november (following the lowering of the temperatures in italy )and i was thinking of put them up on the first of february...is it to early? is there a "standard period" where the animals should be asleep?...

thank again for the answer

alemoz

HI Alex, I assume that when you said you were following temperatures in Italy that you are in fact residing in Italy? If that were the case, then you are right to follow temperatures in Italy. Ideally, the honduran milksnakes need about 3 full months of brumation to trigger physiological changes in their reproductive systems. If by Feb 1 in Italy, the temperatures are warm enough to wake them up (that is in the 60's Farenheit already), then I think your snakes will be fine. But if you find that normal temperatures are still in the cool side (like 50's), then you can wake them up but you have to have the room temperature get up in the 60's. Of course, the other 1/2 side of your cages is heated up to 75-82F. Important to remember though that if you already had them "cooled off" back in November 1, don't wait or don't extend their brumation to one more month. Your snakes might lose some weight and may not be fit anymore to breed. You can email me directly if you want me to send you some great website materials on this subject.

Good luck.

Ray
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RAY

hy ray,
thank again for your answer.
yes i am in italy. i have started not feeding them by 15 october. on the first of november i put down the temp. and since now i kept them between 50° and 60°. at the moment the animals look healty. before lowering down, the two female weighted more than 750 grams. by the first of november i will raise the room temperature (dued also by the presence of other species).
of course any suggestion will be appreciated...i will do the correction.

best wishes

alemoz

good looking snake there... I sent you an email directly in response to the email that you sent me directly as well. Let me know if you got it.

Also, did you see my other posting below (2 lines down) right after your thread posting?
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RAY

alemoz

Thanks ! I got some real nice ones back in 2003 and 2004. Anyhow, below is a pic that you will be looking forward to. It's a great super feeling when you finally get your first one hatched!!! Enjoy that moment when it comes!

Take care...

Ray

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RAY

hy again
very nice picture, i hope it will bring me lucky for this breeding year...i hope i can have some pictures like yours in a few months.

best wishes

alemoz