Re: First eggs of the season for me. :)
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Kymberli
To the OP (or anyone else who's tried both ways of incubation),
do you find it easier to allow maternal incubation? Just curious, I'm not looking for the most convenient way to breed, I'd rather do what's best for the clutch.
I've incubated jungle carpet eggs artificially but every ball python clutch I've had has been left with the mothers. I like the ease of maternal incubation and feel that the eggs have a better chance of survival with their mother rather than in an incubator. I have lost eggs in an incubator but have yet to lose any that remain with their mother. I'm hesitant to use incubators with pythons unless it's absolutely necessary. I read a study that concluded that artificially incubated eggs are more likely to suffer yolk dessication (solidified yolk is left in the egg at hatching) whereas maternally incubated eggs lose less water during the incubation period and tend to result in larger, more active neonates at hatching. The study definitely bolsters my opinion of maternal incubation.
http://www.rcreptiles.com/articles/w...their-eggs.pdf
It's entirely up to the keeper what method to use once you've got eggs, but for me this is the better choice. ;)
Re: First eggs of the season for me. :)
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Homegrownscales
I just read this whole study and I'm quite interested. I was taught that maternal inc was more stressful on the mother and therefor shouldn't be risked. Although I am seriously giving a thought of taking a go at it. I was origanally thinking if doing 1-2 clutches like this but maybe I'll do more.
Quiet tempest: I have read from you that mothers eat while brooding. What's the method you use to safely get them to eat without disturbance of the eggs? Do you find that they eat regularly? Beyond that you keep the eggs the same with a bit more humidity in the rack correct?
I don't ordinarily have to make any changes to to tubs. I did add more cypress and moistened sphagnum moss with this one just because the humidity was in the 50-55% range and I wanted it up at least another 10-20%. It jumped up to 95% after adding the extra substrate and moss but seems to have leveled off at 85% now.
As for feeding, I ordinarily just place a fresh killed rat in the tub near the female. If she's hungry, she'll uncoil either partially or entirely and go after it. The eggs are usually stuck together so even if she strikes from her coil, the eggs are still safe in their pile. Once she's finished eating, she'll wrap around her clutch again. I did offer her a rat a few days ago but she want it. I'll offer her food again next week and see if she's more interested then. ;)
