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Posted by Paul Hollander on April 23, 2003 at 18:00:22:
In Reply to: What I've learned and Questions I still Have posted by sasheena on April 23, 2003 at 12:22:48:
:After reading a bunch of different messages in the archives, what I’ve come to understand about the eggs are the following points:
:1. They will sometimes dimple and even wrinkle, this is an indication that the humidity is too low. I should increase the humidity. But don’t stress too much as kingsnake eggs are “forgiving”
:2. If they turn green and start to smell foul, they are dead-eggs, and should be thrown away.
:3. If some are bad, but others aren’t the bad ones might mold, but the good ones should not be effected by this, and should do okay.
:4. I should keep the temperatures between 78 and 82 and they should hatch in 60 days give or take a couple of weeks,
I'd keep them much closer to 82 than 78.
:Questions I still have:
:1. I should candle the eggs how many days after they are laid?
I've candled plenty of dove eggs but not many snake eggs. Because snake eggs are usually in a clump and are reputed to be much more sensitive to being shaken and turned than bird eggs. But three to five days post laying should be about right for candling snake eggs.
:2. How do I candle them when they are in one big clump? Just shine a flashlight through the whole clump and look for veins?
Try to candle individually, even if the eggs are in a clump. Dimming the room lights helps make the veins easier to see through the shell. Skip the ones in the center of the clump. I'd be surprised if any veins would be visible when a second egg is on top of the first egg.
IMHO, candling makes the most sense when incubator space is at a primium and when bad eggs can be easily discarded. As neither is generally true in a one or two clutch operation, candling is optional.
:3. If the eggs are still pliable and soft after 72 hours, is this normal?
Yes. Soft and pliable is normal for snake eggs throughout incubation.
:4. Will I ever stop fretting over these eggs? (I know the answer to this one… YES… and THEN, hopefully, I’ll be fretting over HATCHLINGS!)
You got it. 8-) Just remember, herpers need glacial patience.
Paul Hollander
