Reptile & Amphibian Forums

here are two pics of the clutch before shedding. There are some really nice orange ones and one nice yellow one in this group. There are also some very nice grey leonis...well heck they are all leonis

Russ

1 more

...you are definitely keyed-in on outstanding leonis. I see a couple of real winners slithering around in there. You do such a great job, the hatchlings all look very healthy. Congrats in a very big way!

I notice you incubate in moss at room temps... do you ever find that you need to add moisture to the moss during incubation?

Mike

I make two small holes in my incubating boxes on both ends the size of 1/8th. I then wet the spaghum heavily and grab a big handful and squeeze it out until water just barely drips from the moss. That makes the bed I put the eggs on then once the eggs are placed I repeat the first step to make a cover to go over the eggs. I rarely add any water after that mostly because I don't use any extra heat source to incubate them. Room temps 77-82 and they take care of themselves from there.

Did you know that using spaghum can aide in keeping unwanted flies from your eggs. The moss is acidic and it keeps bugs away. Of course if you have dead or expiring eggs maggots will get them regardless of what you do. I've noticed I only get carrion flys once eggs have been laid so I'm starting to think that a snakes egg already has a built in carrion larvae that morph and feed once the egg dies.

Thanks for the compliments. Hatching variable kings is so much fun.

Russ

You are welcome for the compliments, you deserve it and thanks for the tips!

Sounds like you have a near perfect system that works extremely well for you and it also sounds like there are some obvious advantages to a warm snake room. Not having to deal with incubators would be a welcome relief. I nearly used sphagnum in a couple egg boxes this year as a test to see how well it does, but was reluctant out of fear it would dry out too easily. I have a couple more clutches coming here soon, I think I will give the stuff a shot now that I know it is relatively moisture stable.

Interesting about the sphagnum and it's insect repellent properties, I had never heard it mentioned and it is certainly great information to have.

The carrion fly situation begins as an external source and they are so small that they are able to enter a ventilated egg box with ease. The things seem to come out of nowhere... thay are so small and travel so quickly you may not even know they are in the area until you find them on the eggs. And they waste no time fumbling around the room, they zero right in on those eggs and are on the scene literally in a flash. This year I covered the ventilation holes on the incubator with micro-fine nylon webbing that is so fine the tiny carrion flies can't get through, but still allows plenty of ventilation. Not an insect problen one so far and I have had plenty of bad eggs cookin'. I also understand that slipping a woman's nylon stocking over your egg boxes and tying it off provides a carrion fly net that is fine enough to keep the pests out.

BTW... is that another outstanding "ghost-saddled" leonis I see in that clutch?!! Better tag that little one keeper immediately!

Thanks again for the thoughts, tips and tricks. And good luck with all the rest of your super-sized thayeri clutches you have simmerin' over there!

Mike

Hi Russ

Those are some nice looking hatchlings. I like the head pattern of the animal near the top and the reduced black on the lower right. Keep the pics coming. Thanks.
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Jonel @ Selective Propagations
www.spsnakes.com

thanks Jonel. How are the hypo stillwaters coming so far this summer? How many do you expect to produce?

I love that nuclear orange thayeri pic you posted below...awesome.
Russ

Hi Russ

Thanks for the compliment. I have a clutch from my first time breeder Stillwater female due in late july but I'm still waiting on my older breeder to lay. She shed on the first so hopefully she'll lay her eggs soon.
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Jonel @ Selective Propagations
www.spsnakes.com

Great shots Russ.....Love those thayeri man.
John Lassiter

Wow, all those leonis babies were incredible!
Way to go,
Unclouody