Dead In Egg- Warning *GRAPHIC* photos

[Spiritserpents]

This year I bred my pewter Lacy to Essan, my bloodred het hypo, charcoal, anery. I got 20 eggs, of which 12 were obvious slugs. Of the 8 properly shelled eggs, a grand total of 0 showed veins up until day 4 or so, at which point 6 eggs showed veining, 3 strongly.

About halfway through incubation, 3 of those 6 eggs died. Last week, when I candled the 3 remaining eggs, I found that 2 of them now lacked veins, and instead of showing clear on candling they were now glowing a sullen dark red. I cut those eggs open and found two highly deformed fetuses. The body was fused into a giant blob for each embryo.

I began watching the remaining egg like a hawk. Yesterday, I noticed a decrease in veins. Today, there were no veins in the remaining egg. As it was due to pip on Wednesday, I decided to cut the egg and see if there was a live snake.

The moment I cut the egg it smelled 'wrong', so I was pretty sure I was going to find a dead fetus. I was definitely correct. It's too small for its gestational age, but considering the incredible extent of its deformities, I'm not surprised it couldn't gain any size. The blob in the photos is about 1 inch long.




Warning. The amount that is wrong with this snake is extreme.




Blobular snake, still in its membrane.




I then turned it over and... I'm pretty sure that's its heart. Behind its head.




Opened up the membrane... And ye gods. Anencephalic. Note the size disparity between the orbs of the eyes.




Overhanging brow, highly truncated face, sunken eye, domed head.




Trying to show the fused coils.





I... *think* that's its brain?




Even the intestines were up behind the snake's head.




This pairing will absolutely never be repeated.

[kylearmbar]

With so many that bad right off the bat, I wonder if this is bad genes in one of the parents that could have caused something so extreme? I'm not really familiar with corns so Idk how common deformities are, but wow.

[MisterKyte]

Yeah, that sounds like it might be bad genes between the clutch. Happens eventually with any kind of animal unfortunately.

Though I have to say, that fetal Corn is pretty neat looking from the biological curiousity perspective. If it were me I'd jar that little guy and cure it in alcohol right away!