Egg Stress and the resulting babies

So there are certain points in the development of a Ball Python in the egg that can physically change the look or physiology of the snake. This some times can present in eyelessness, kinks, cleft mouths, total train wrecks, an on occasion they will have tweaked patterns and colors. This is something to consider when babies don't hatch the way you would expect.

A few years ago I had one of my last clutches in the bator experience a temp spike of over 95 degrees for more than a day before I caught it. Lucky I caught it when I did cause it could have killed a lot of babies. One of the animals I was sure was dead when I cut the clutch.. It lived after some TLC and intervention.

The pairing was a Lesser x normal. All the babies were as expected except one.

This what I saw in the egg

http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/h...t/DSC_0609.jpg

http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/h...t/DSC_0608.jpg

when it crawled out and needed to be set up cause it didn't absorb it yolk
http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/h...t/DSC_0636.jpg

http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/h...t/DSC_0638.jpg

and here she is after a few meals and a shed or two
http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/h...rmystery05.jpg

http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/h...rmystery07.jpg

and with a few clutch mates
http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/h...t/DSC_0661.jpg

I'll get some updated pics tonight of her.

This is just something to keep in mind. you might not have hatched something new it might have just had egg stress causeing its look..What causes egg stress? hot spots or cold spots in the bator, dehydration of the eggs, over humidified eggs, mold on the egg or an adjacent egg, dead eggs attached to it.

Just some food for thought.

I have actually wondered if this isn't intentionally done to some of the CH eggs, to try and create unique looks that would spike interest and stimulate the market for them.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Caspian

I have actually wondered if this isn't intentionally done to some of the CH eggs, to try and create unique looks that would spike interest and stimulate the market for them.

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I don't think intentionally but I think that if the eggs are collected and then incubated, it could potentially lend to some really crazy looking animals depending on the duration and extent of the stress the egg is under. Doing it on purpose I don't think you could know what types and durations of stress would produce a color tweaked baby and what would kill them.

I'd say she came out quite alright.[emoji6] She is gorgeous[emoji7] . I am happy you caught them on time.[emoji4]

Also, my opinion is that breeders who would purposely do this are irresponsibly playing with the lives of the animals....putting financial gain above the passion and love for the snakes.

Just my opinion, though.

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I haven't bred any of my reptiles as their too young and didn't think egg stress could occur so this is good to find out well in advance.

Tortoises take years to get to a safe breeding age much longer than my ball python will take despite them being several years older.

Wow! Thanks for the education Ff. I never thought that egg stress would be a desired factor by some. It seems rather cruel to do it for monetary gain but also from a ethical standpoint as well. I recently had a clutch of pastel het pieds where the last hatchling got caught on the edge of the diffuser trying to exit the egg. He wound up pulling his umbilical cord out a little and had to be set up on moist paper towels. He is ok now but I can't imagine any type of egg stress as something I would like to see.