washing neonates?

Just wondering why I'm all the sudden hearing about washings hatchlings. I've read many books on bps and I've been subscribing to the reptiles magazine since 1994. Not until I stumbled on this site have I heard anything about washing a hatchling. My bps have produced many hatchlings over the years without me washing them and without problems. What are people using to wash the snakes and why?

I wash mine to get all the vermiculite that gets stuck all over them. Most of my reading reccomends washing them as well as washing Moma after she lays.

I wash my hatchlings with luke warm water only to remove the stuck vermiculite and perlite, as Raul stated. I don't think it is actually necessary, but it also makes them look a little better, especially for a hatchling photo shoot.

Thanks, thats explains it. I've always let momma do the hatching. So I have no vermiculite to wash off.

I just rinse mine off in luke warm water, it gets the egg slime off and it's easier to sex them when their not slipping through your fingers. It also gets the stuck chunks of vermiculite and perlite off so they look better.

Mark

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Originally Posted by Royalherper

Thanks, thats explains it. I've always let momma do the hatching. So I have no vermiculite to wash off.

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Do you have alot of success in this? I would never trust my momas with this resposibility.

I bathed my females this year after they laid their clutches. I use an incubator for the eggs; not maternal. I used a mild dish soap/water mix, and figured that it'd take the scent of the eggs away and thus expediate them getting back to normal and feeding. I also tore down/cleaned each tub and replaced the newspaper substrate. They all took rats within days of laying. :)

A mother ball python knows exactly how to incubate her eggs. The problem is that you need to be really accurate on your ambient and basking temps since she can only do so much. If your temps are too high or too low she may not be able to do as she is required to. As such, we normally incubate the eggs ourself since we have more control over the temps.


Rick

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Originally Posted by Chase13

Do you have alot of success in this? I would never trust my momas with this resposibility.

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Originally Posted by Chase13

Do you have alot of success in this? I would never trust my momas with this resposibility.

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Yes I do, I just keep an eye on the humidity and temp. Why try to improve on a million yrs of evolution? I know that most people incubate the eggs themselves. I've only ever lost 1 egg in about 6 of her clutches. Thats pretty good odds I think. She is sitting on 6 at the moment. Everytime she lays eggs I wonder if I should incubate them myself. I even have an incubater :) but I don't want to take them from her. Thats probably silly but thats me.