rat snake hatching PLEASE HELP

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Posted by Schwan on August 26, 2001 at 22:33:04:

Hi. I am posting this in a few different snake forums, so if you see a repeat of this then please bear with me.

I work in an animal care facility and they have some exhibits there that include two yellow rat snakes. One day, around the 4th of July actually, I found eggs and I had a hovabator at home so I brought them here to incubate them. Well, I left for the weekend, and just now I came home to find a snake half sticking out of an egg! It freaked me out--I thought it was dead!!! But it wasn't. It does seem to have an unusual kink in it's back though. Calcium deficiency maybe?

My questions:

Why would it have a kink on it's back?

Should I help it out of the egg?

The other eggs (there are three) are all sunken in now. Are they going to hatch?

If this little one makes it, how do I take care of it? I mean, I just give pinkies to the adults. Could I feed it mealworms or crickets? Should I feed it right away or wait a few days?

Can I put it in with the parents or will they try to eat it?

Please help me. I really don't know much about snakes, I am a lizard keeper, and didn't really expect any of these eggs to hatch anyway, so I wasn't prepared for this at all.

Thanks in advance,

Amanda

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: Hi. I am posting this in a few different snake forums, so if you see a repeat of this then please bear with me. : I work in an animal care facility and they have some exhibits there that include two yellow rat snakes. One day, around the 4th of July actually, I found eggs and I had a hovabator at home so I brought them here to incubate them. Well, I left for the weekend, and just now I came home to find a snake half sticking out of an egg! It freaked me out--I thought it was dead!!! But it wasn't. It does seem to have an unusual kink in it's back though. Calcium deficiency maybe? : My questions: : Why would it have a kink on it's back? : Should I help it out of the egg? : The other eggs (there are three) are all sunken in now. Are they going to hatch? : If this little one makes it, how do I take care of it? I mean, I just give pinkies to the adults. Could I feed it mealworms or crickets? Should I feed it right away or wait a few days? : Can I put it in with the parents or will they try to eat it? : Please help me. I really don't know much about snakes, I am a lizard keeper, and didn't really expect any of these eggs to hatch anyway, so I wasn't prepared for this at all. : Thanks in advance, : Amanda

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