Reptile & Amphibian Forums

One of my clutches of Woma eggs had one develop with mold on it. It's been on there for about 3 weeks. I wipe it off and it comes back, but not a lot...about the size of a penny. Only one egg developed the mold, but I had serious reservations about it. Well, this morning there's a head peeking out! Anyone else had successful hatchings w/mold growing?

Jay, where was it in the clutch/container? was it on top?
Yes I have had some eggs with mold hatch. I hope to have a few more this year! LOL

Tom, there were six eggs, all in the same line, but separate. It hatched out fine. Different clutch than the deformed one, which, btw, is alive and feisty. I should post a pic of it

With almost all python egg laying, I use maternal incubation with a damp long-fiber spagnum substrate and there are always a few eggs in the clutch pile that have mold growth on the surface when these eggs hatch. I have never lost an egg from what I suspected was a mold issue. Python eggs are laid in nature on soil and/or decaying vegetation substrates and they have well developed antibody defense against most bacterial and fungal species found in the environment. I am not saying mold growth could never kill an egg, but I believe there is a confusion between cause and effect in the vast majority of these cases. In these cases of heavy mold growth and dead eggs, I believe the eggs had already died before the mold growth took over.

Kelly

Kelly, that's what I have always heard and witnessed...that a good, viable egg is not affected by mold.