Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi Everyone,

I'm in the processing of attempting my first breeding this season (fingers crossed!) but am not really sure where to start looking for an incubator or what type to get/ or if i should make my own. I am only breeding one of my females this year so dont need anything to large. any advice any one can provide on the subject would be greatly appreciated.

Many thanks,

Kenny.

Keep it simple. Start out with a Hovabator incubator. They are relatively inexpensive and fairly reliable. That way, if you find you do not like breeding, you won't have too much invested. Also, have you considered maternal incubation?
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Jay A. Martin
Jay Martin Reptiles

This is also my first year to breed. I think I understand what maternal incubation is (judging from the name), but why is it that I've never heard this as an option for incubation? What set-up would you use and do people successfully do this as thier primary means of incubation?
Jeremy
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Isn't it cooler that serpent's don't walk anymore?
(Genesis 3:14)

Hi, with regards to the hovabator incubators are there any particular models i should be looking for or any partucular considerations?

You mentioned maternal incubation - no i hadn't considered it, but only because most litrature/websites tend to recomend incubators. is maternal a good route to take? is it easier than incubators? will the mother be up to the job of caring for them till they hatch?!

many thanks,

Kenny.

>>Hi, with regards to the hovabator incubators are there any particular models i should be looking for or any partucular considerations?

Don't get the "turbo fan" model. It can dry out the eggs.

>>
>>You mentioned maternal incubation - no i hadn't considered it, but only because most litrature/websites tend to recomend incubators. is maternal a good route to take? is it easier than incubators? will the mother be up to the job of caring for them till they hatch?!

Lots of people use this approach. Here's an article you can read weighing the pros and cons:
Maternal Incubation

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Jay A. Martin
Jay Martin Reptiles

Thanks for the article...this is my first year to breed, and I've never heard this as an option! Good stuff!
Jeremy
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Isn't it cooler that serpent's don't walk anymore?
(Genesis 3:14)

I would highly recommend it - I did it last year and will probably do it again this year - it's really quite simple - just keep the tub or cage at 89* and a high humidity around 100% and let mom do the rest. I just read a study last week that found that maternally incubated snakes actually hatched out stronger and healthier than artificially incubated eggs - had something to do with the mom sitting on the eggs kept the moisture inside of them thus producing more yolk for the babies. It was interesting - I'll have to see if I can find the article again. Anyway - I'd give it a shot at least once!

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Tosha

"Nihil facimus sed id bene facimus"

7.33.0 Ball Python (Harry and Fluffy and gang)
1.0.0 Angolan Python (Anakin Skywalker)
0.0.1 Green Tree Python (Verdi - yeah I know but my kids love the book)
0.2.0 Feline (Pippen and Pandora)
0.0.1 Desert Tortoise (Pope John Paul aka JP )
2.2.1 Fish (1,2,3,4)
0.0.2 frogs rescued from pool skimmer

Huh...this really changes what I have been planning on doing. So from those of you who are very familiar or experienced w/ maternal incubation, would you tend to suggest a FIRST TIME BREEDER to go w/ artificial or maternal incubation?
(ps...read the article Jay...thanks)
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Isn't it cooler that serpent's don't walk anymore?
(Genesis 3:14)

>
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Jay A. Martin
Jay Martin Reptiles

I was actually looking for something else when I found the study - so for some stupid reasonI didn't save or book mark it - but if I can find it again I'll forward it to you. It was somewhat interesting they compared the number of eggs lost during incubation, the weight of the eggs, the weight of the hatchlings, the emerging time, the general strength of the hatchlings after emerging, and percentage of the yolk remained.
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Tosha

"Nihil facimus sed id bene facimus"

7.33.0 Ball Python (Harry and Fluffy and gang)
1.0.0 Angolan Python (Anakin Skywalker)
0.0.1 Green Tree Python (Verdi - yeah I know but my kids love the book)
0.2.0 Feline (Pippen and Pandora)
0.0.1 Desert Tortoise (Pope John Paul aka JP )
2.2.1 Fish (1,2,3,4)
0.0.2 frogs rescued from pool skimmer

np
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Isn't it cooler that serpent's don't walk anymore?
(Genesis 3:14)

I personally think that snakes never walked in the first place. It doesn't say in the bible that they did, nor does it say that God took their legs away(though it may in a version here or there... some are translated fairly loosely). I think it was more like the snakes in the video game Q-Bert. They had kind of a springy action.

Just a thought.
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Bryan, Atlanta GA

1-0-0 Rescued Ball Python - Apep
0-1-0 Rescued Mountain Horned Dragon - Ki
0-0-1 Rescued Aggressive Bearded Dragon - Zeus
0-0-1 Rescued Non-Alpha Green Iguana - Bud
1-1-0 Rescued Rats... no wait... ROTTEN Little Cats - Ra, Bastet
0-0-1 Rescued Dieting Panda Hamster - Mr. Fluffy
0-1-0 Rescued Little Angelic Kitten - Isis
1-0-0 Horse... whoops... BIG Golden Retriever - Jake
0-1-0 Wife
2-0-0 Kids

I have to say, I've never heard of that before...interesting, though. I can say that I've just assumed that they had legs, but there are other options (such as the spring) that would have kept their bellies off the ground before the curse. Something to ponder.
Jeremy

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Isn't it cooler that snakes don't bounce or something anymore?

This is why you should never mix the Bible, pain killers (legal dr ordered), and video games... Leads to really messed up ideas, LOL.

I have worked hard to teach my kids to make sure that they know what is actually in there to make sure they are following that and not just someone's take on what is in there. In teaching them that I learned a lot on the way. It drives my mother crazy since she is actually an ordained minister and my house looks like a shrine to almost every mythology that ever existed (as you can see in the animal names). She doesn't understand it is just to help me with my writing (scifi, mythology) and that we are not making human or animal sacrifies every night to them! Though...

Not trying to start a religious debate here (though from the sound of it we are both on the same side there). I just loved your quote!
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Bryan, Atlanta GA

1-0-0 Rescued Ball Python - Apep
0-1-0 Rescued Mountain Horned Dragon - Ki
0-0-1 Rescued Aggressive Bearded Dragon - Zeus
0-0-1 Rescued Non-Alpha Green Iguana - Bud
1-1-0 Rescued Rats... no wait... ROTTEN Little Cats - Ra, Bastet
0-0-1 Rescued Dieting Panda Hamster - Mr. Fluffy
0-1-0 Rescued Little Angelic Kitten - Isis
1-0-0 Horse... whoops... BIG Golden Retriever - Jake
0-1-0 Wife
2-0-0 Kids

np
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Isn't it cooler that serpent's don't walk anymore?
(Genesis 3:14)

Ha ha ha... Mr. Fluffy is a name chosen by a teenager in an attempt of independent thinking! He failed the attempt! LOL!
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Bryan, Atlanta GA

1-0-0 Rescued Ball Python - Apep
0-1-0 Rescued Mountain Horned Dragon - Ki
0-0-1 Rescued Aggressive Bearded Dragon - Zeus
0-0-1 Rescued Non-Alpha Green Iguana - Bud
1-1-0 Rescued Rats... no wait... ROTTEN Little Cats - Ra, Bastet
0-0-1 Rescued Dieting Panda Hamster - Mr. Fluffy
0-1-0 Rescued Little Angelic Kitten - Isis
1-0-0 Horse... whoops... BIG Golden Retriever - Jake
0-1-0 Wife
2-0-0 Kids