?? when to intervene with incubating eggs?

[vanderkm]

How long after the first snakes in a clutch hatch should the entire clutch have pipped?

I have a clutch of hondurans in which half pipped and hatched within 2 days, but the rest are showing only some collapse of the egg - no pipping yet.

Is it wise to open the eggs, and if so, when? They still show prominant blood vessels and a big shadow (presumably a baby snake) when candled.

any suggestions?

mary v.

[Jeff_Favelle]

The longest I've had is 4 days from 1st to last pip. The shortest is 1 hour. But that's only a relatively few clutches. The lower the temps you use for incubating, the longer the window can be. If you incubte at 80F on a shelf or something, you can wait a week between pips!! Yikes.

All the more reason for a proper incubator.

[vanderkm]

Thanks Jeff - temps were quite consistent average 82-83 with a couple degree drop at night - once down to 79 and a few times over 85. Incubator design is based on yours - insulated box, aquarium heater in water, eggs in sealed tub, few holes for ventillation, on a rack above vermiculite - held temps pretty consistent and humidity at virtually 100% for entire term.

I will give them a couple more days - good suggestion that the spread might be related to lower temps - my first try at incubation and not being familiar with how stable my set up would be, I didn't want to risk over heating and the anomolies that go with that.


thanks,


mary v.

[Jeff_Favelle]

Good thinking Mary. Always better to underheat, rather than overheat eggs. Actuallym better for everything to do with reptiles!

I say give them 72-96 hours and then cut windows on the top (carefully) so see what's going on. Be careful though. Colubrid eggs are tricky to manually pip.

[vanderkm]

Thanks Jeff, will do - I hope they are alive still.

mary v.