Umbilical

I hardly ever venture out of the morph forum and not sure if this is the place for this question but I have a couple of babies that for some reason didn't suck in the connection to the yolk. I'm not sure what this actually is but when they came out of the egg the worst one was still connected to the yolk via blood vessel. Eventually the vessel broke (and she bled a bit) but both of them (clutchmates) had about 1/3 of an inch of something pink and maybe half the diameter of a pencil sticking out of the slit in their belly. I've been keeping them at 100% humidity on clean newspaper in the incubator and both have dried up some but still bleed a little and neither is ready to close up.

I'm off work tomorrow but not sure if my vet will be in with office hours so would much appreciate any back up plan advice. Should I tie off whatever this is? I'm hoping it's something that should not interfere with the eventual fully internal digestive track but I'm worried about infection if this doesn't close soon.

Thanks!

Hi,

Found a few threads on the subject;

http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s...ight=umbilicus

http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s...ight=umbilicus

http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s...ight=umbilicus

http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s...ight=umbilicus


dr del

Randy the only thing I can contribute since I've never experienced this with my limited experience with hatchlings is I went and replayed my ball python DVD from the Barkers (VPI). They always put their hatchlings on damp papertowels until they have their first shed and feeding. They showed a hatchling that had a huge extrusion of yolk/umbilical mass but said they do just the same thing and eventually it all sucks in or dries up and falls off. They showed one that had done that. Instead of a perfectly smooth area it did have a small bump but they said that would soon flatten out as well.

Randy,
Jo is correct. It is nothing to worry about. If they are still bleeding, I guess you could tie it off, but I personally have never tied one. I have never seen one kep that extra piece for longer than about 9 days. IThey typically fall off within 5, but I have never seen one retain it past the first shed.

Thanks! I forget that the search engine actually works on some sites. Thought I did try "yolk" here but found nothing relevant and gave up. Maybe that was another site.

Odd that all three out so far from this clutch have the same problem I've not otherwise had before. I think that mom wasn't warm enough before laying while I figured out how to regulate my new snake room. Also they where at the bottom of the incubator. Took just over 60 days to come out.


http://snakemorphs.home.comcast.net/...ilical_med.jpg