Egg Questions

candyraver69 · 05-09-11, 05:35 PM

So Zen laid her eggs last night, 16. I was not expecting it, she was the one I wasn't even sure was gravid (I am not an expert by any means!) None look like "slugs" but they are a little softish to the touch. With the sudden changes in climate here this week, her habitat humidity got a bit damper than I would have liked. I drilled more holes today to try and drop it a bit, and moved the eggs to an incubator.

There are certainly veins in the eggs, so they are fertile, but I don't know if I killed them by letting them get too damp

How firm are they suppose to be, like chicken eggs that I eat? The best way I could describe the firmness is when I press gently there is some give like if I were to press on a ripe orange. Does that sound okay or are they most likely dead?

KD35WIN.AS.ONE · 05-09-11, 05:47 PM

They are suppose to be soft to the touch, kind of leathery feel is what is most common described. Im almost certain there just fine.

stephanbakir · 05-09-11, 05:54 PM

There really is nothing wrong with maternal incubation, to be honest half our clutches get maternally incubated. (keep in mind that while some snakes can physically increase their temperature by full body twitching/controlled muscle contractions the average snake will require a heat source close to her nesting area to go back and forth from, They also control the humidity of the eggs themselves)

If your eggs get too wet make sure they don't get mouldy, and if they get too dry mist them until the proper level of humidity is acquired.
If you told us what type of snake Zen was we could assist you better.

RandyRhoads · 05-09-11, 06:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stephanbakir

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If you told us what type of snake Zen was we could assist you better.

I was thinking the same thing. Never heard of the Zen species.

stephanbakir · 05-09-11, 06:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RandyRhoads

I was thinking the same thing. Never heard of the Zen species.

Pretty sure the snake is named Zen

Edit, I cant be 100% sure Zen is a snake either, could be a lizard.

RandyRhoads · 05-09-11, 06:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stephanbakir

Pretty sure the snake is named Zen

Edit, I cant be 100% sure Zen is a snake either, could be a lizard.

I was joking, I know that was the name not species. Good point. Is it even a snake?

candyraver69 · 05-10-11, 02:40 AM

LOL yes I guess I should have specified! Zen is a corn snake. I've got them sitting at 80 degrees F in perlite and peat moss, damp but not wet. I'll keep an eye on the incubator carefully to make sure I don't get water droplets raining on them from the top.

Glad they are suppose to be slightly soft, they may just be fine

Lankyrob · 05-10-11, 05:38 AM

Fingers crossed - keep us up to date!!!

candyraver69 · 05-10-11, 05:04 PM

Jezabel is in the middle of laying right now

Her eggs look a lot longer. The look on her face is creepy. I was worried she died or something, her mouth was hanging open and she was so still, but I gently touched her and she moved a bit so I am leaving her alone now. I will keep an eye on her to make sure she doesn't get eggbound or anything though. She's laid one a few minutes ago.

Snake reproduction is so different from anything I've experienced. Really neat to catch her laying. As if the mating wasn't interesting enough. Snakes are so neat.

Thanks for your help guys! I'll be sure to post tons of pipping and baby pics in 2 months

stephanbakir · 05-10-11, 05:14 PM

Posting pics of her laying would be cool aswell:P
Good luck!

candyraver69 · 05-10-11, 05:26 PM

candyraver69 · 05-10-11, 05:34 PM

I wonder how quickly the egg pockets form. The egg to the far right fell off the top when she laid the most recent one, I hope it doesn't drown from being turned.

Also, is it common for the to not use the lay box? Maybe she likes the temp on this end of the habitat better? I just used an empty tupperware with a hole cut and damp peat.

stephanbakir · 05-10-11, 05:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by candyraver69

Also, is it common for the to not use the lay box? Maybe she likes the temp on this end of the habitat better? I just used an empty tupperware with a hole cut and damp peat.

Its not out of the ordinary, regarding air pockets i duno.

candyraver69 · 05-10-11, 08:37 PM

She is at 15 and still going. Apparently humans aren't the only ones with labor half of a day.

candyraver69 · 05-10-11, 08:53 PM

She laid the last one and my count was wrong. 17 total, there was one hiding.

Now Nymph should be laying hers any day now. She is the biggest of the three. Gotta get on it and send clutch registrations in soon now to ACR and get my website going completely so I can sell some.