eggs

[Auddi01]

is it ok for the female to just lay her eggs on newspaper( my substrate) then for me to transfer them to my homemade incubator??? or do i need somthing inside the cage for her to lay them on?

[gonesnakee]

It's called a nesting box & is pretty much required. Take a small rubbermaid & fill it with damp spagnum moss & cut a hole in the lid big enough for the female to enter/exit with ease. She needs a proper spot to lay them or she may dump them in the water dish & drown them all. The newspaper if she lays them there will dry the eggs out quick & you risk killing them that way. There is also a possibility that if she doesn't have a proper spot to lay that she won't. If she doesn't feel like there is a safe place to lay she may retain the eggs too long, possibly killing the eggs & possibly putting her at risk for egg binding. A nesting box is a basic requirement for a gravid female & is highly recommended. Mark I.

[Auddi01]

thanks mark, will vermicualte work as good as the moss? i ahve alot of it to put the eggs in after she lays them... but if it dont work as good i ca buy some spagnum

[Auddi01]

does everyone use moss in their lay boxes?

[Mike177]

i suggest mosit vermiculite it is widely avalable or u can use perlite. in my opinion it works better than moss because it holds mosture for longer.

[gonesnakee]

I like the moss for the nesting box because the snakes love it. It seems to give them an added sense of security as they can burrow in/under it. It does dry out quick though. Vermiculite or perilite will work also or a combo of them with moss on top. They are what I use for incubation & I would strongly suggest againest the moss for incubation because it is too hard to maintain proper humidity. Good Luck with your efforts. Mark
P.S. I'm assumming that you are talking about a snake also.

[Auddi01]

oh yeah sry bout that, i am talking aboput my corn snakes

[Auddi01]

i plan on keeping them in the top of my bathroom closet, it stays 80 degrees up there. i put a thermometer in there today and it seems to stay that temperature..... will that be ok, veryone told me 84, but is that close enough for them?