Maternal Incubating clutches! July 2017

[tacticalveterinarian]

Some clutches are due to hatch really soon and I've got a few more on the way! If the eggs are healthy and fertile- they will hatch!

[Ogre]

Wow, it seems that maternal incubation does well in rack systems.

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[tacticalveterinarian]

Maternal incubation is all about providing the correct husbandry (temperature gradient, humidity, air circulation). I've hatched maternal incubation clutches using glass enclosures, wooden enclosures, plastic racks, wood/melanin racks etc. Slight Temperature variation doesn't really matter...because it happens in nature! If you have the proper husbandry for mom and dad, shouldn't it be perfect for the eggs too? Thanks for the comment! I thought there would be alot more interest since very few people are doing maternal incubation- and I've been trying to encourage other hobbyists to do so the last few years!

Who's doing maternal incubation this year or at least considering it in the future?

[tacticalveterinarian]

Here's a quick summary on a nice 10egg clutch maternally incubated! Hope you all enjoy and wish everyone a great season so far!

[hollowlaughter]

Had a bit of a laugh early on at that one (presumably) normal looking around at all its siblings in confusion, like it showed up at the wrong party.

[Albert Clark]

Congrats on your amazing success with maternal incubation! Thanks for sharing, I would be more inclined to try maternal incubation if I had a more specific snake room that was well insulated and more effectively temperature controlled as a whole room. Adequate humidity for the eggs was always a serious consideration as well.

[zina10]

Congrats on it working so well for you!

I'm not inclined to try it, though. I like that I have more control over temps/humidity in the incubator. Also, my last clutch was laid DIRECTLY on the "hot spot" of the tub, meaning directly on top of the heat tape (which is underneath the tub of course), substrate pushed aside. Granted, its not a super high heat hotspot after all, but with the snake wrapped on the eggs, the eggs were VERY warm, and the one that was next to her coils, also partly on the heat tape, was FAR colder to the touch. So far all eggs look ok in the incubator, with 2 more weeks to go. They would have gotten to hot if I left them with the female where they were, while the lone egg seemed to "cool".

Yes, we keep them "species appropriate", but in the wild they still have a far larger range to find "just" the right spot. They have a lot more room to get well away from the clutch if they have to pass urine. They won't spill their water near their clutch in the wild. Maternal incubation works for some people, for others it didn't go so well. But that is the same with an incubator.

I like that the temps stay more stable for a long time in a incubator, even with loss of power (if you have water bottles in there). I also think it is easier to control the super high humidity needed, in a properly set up egg box inside the incubator. In a tub, its a lot more difficult to keep the humidity that high, without causing mold to the substrate or getting it to wet, either from misting or condensation. Most of all I like the female to start recuperating and eating well soon after laying. Some will eat during maternal incubation, but then you have the issue of them passing urine more often, and I know that urine from an adult BP can easily flood part of a tub or at least soak the substrate in a good part of the tub. Wouldn't want that getting to the eggs..

Obviously it can work, and work well, looking at your pictures ! Its also very interesting to see the pictures and video.

I did not meant to "diss" how you go about breeding them. It works for you I'm just pointing out why it wouldn't be for me. I would also worry about things to much and end up checking on everything to often, which wouldn't help that humidity or heat in the tubs.

[tacticalveterinarian]

Thanks everyone for the comments! It's great to get messages from others who have been inspired (and successfully) completed maternal incubation this season!