Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I would say I have mostly good news, but some bad news as well.

I have 90 good eggs and about 30 or 40 bad eggs, from thirteen female red throat Eastern Indigos. The egg-laying in my colony is almost over. One more female will lay in the next few days, but there are only five or six eggs in her. So I could have 90-something good eggs. I am sure that some of these won't make it. I always lose some during the incubation. If 80 percent of these hatch, I will consider myself lucky.

One of my females couldn't pass any of the eggs, even with my help. I found her dead in the cage just a few days after she was supposed to lay. I quickly cut her open and removed the eggs which looked like they were live eggs, but none were alive by the time I got to them.

For some unusual reason, I was able to push the first offending egg out easily after she was dead, but I couldn't do it when she was alive. It may have been the culprit for the egg-binding, being longer and deformed looking. It was older looking and fully hardened inside and out, making me wonder if it was in her from an earlier year. She had not mated until this year though. The remaining 10 eggs, higher up, were all supple and new.

If any of you have actually seen an Indigo snake egg being laid, you will understand why a hardened one would be more difficult for the female to pass. The soft, supple eggs get pinched significantly down the middle while they are exiting, making it easier for the female snake to get them out.

Good luck to the rest of you, Robert Bruce.

Sorry about your girl, but congrats on the rest. I have never really understood why snake eggs are so different with regards to hatching after the death of the mother or when taken surgically. I have never hatched even a single snake egg, even when the cesarean is seemingly done early, and the eggs are properly handled, marked, and immediately incubated. Maybe it is just me.But I have direct and indirect experience with a fair number.You can surgically remove turtle eggs using the same anesthestic protocol and they will hatch. You can pick up snapping turtle eggs off of the road from a hbc female that have been laying in the sun for awhile and many will hatch. You can also incubate and hatch turtle eggs from females that are slaughtered for meat (unfortunately, we still have a commercial turtle buyer/ meat business (snappers and softshells mostly) here in of all places S.E. Iowa.), and even the eggs that are obviously way immature and have poor shell development will often hatch. And they are not handled gently or incubated carefully. Obvious differences in physiology, but I'm not sure exactly what the factors are. Anyone have any ideas or insight., or contrasting experiences?

Hi Frank,

Where in S.E Iowa are you? I live about 30 miles from Keokuk, in Quincy, IL

Eric
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If Jesus is your co-pilot, you'd better change seats!

Sorry I didn't see this earlier. I live in southcentral Iowa, but the turtle buyer/farm is down towards Keokuk closer to you-if they are still in operation. Fairly large scale, sad place.Alot of the meat goes to Japan.

you have the state of CA covered!

I'm not doing too well with my easterns this year... I may be sending some people your way if that's ok.

Sorry about the lost female.
Dean

Despite loss of female, your achievement speaks for itself. How many males to females were involved? Had any of the snakes that produced good eggs done the same last year? Good luck at hatching time.

Robert
I'm really sorry to hear about your female. I remember well when my favorite female died, it hurts. I mean it hurts with any one of them but I believe we all have our favorites that hurt just a little more.
However the numbers you are getting are great. I would love the chance to come by sometime to see your colony. Let me know if that can be arranged.
Take care and God Bless.
Chuck