Not looking good.. Deformed hatchlings

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Originally Posted by Fraido

Eugh. Gosh, is there a less brutal way to do it?

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When doing at home/emergency euthanasia, the goal is to destroy the brain. You can use a shotgun, a hammer, a screwdriver, an icepick, etc. Unless you're competent in the process, causing broad range damage is your best bet at getting the job done without causing additional pain. I use a pocketknife because I've always got one on me and when I have something that needs to be put down, waiting around isn't doing either of us any favors.

I get that, not something I could ever personally do if I had something like this, though. God forbid I ever give it a go and make a mistake and the thing is writhing around in pain. The thought just makes me cringe. Yeesh!

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Afer waiting a few days for the other 2 eggs to hatch i cut them open. Both animals were already dead. The Spider het. Albino looks like it has been dead for a longer period of time, cause it isn't fully developed. The Cinnabee het. Albino looks quite normal, except for the shark mouth.
The only alive animal from this clutch shows a very severe wobble and has also the shark mouth. I'm probably gonna put it down tonight, to end this misery.
I'm so frustrated right now that i'm considering selling all my albino stuff except for one enchi albino female that stands out. :mad:

http://ball-pythons.net/gallery/file...803_190423.jpg

http://ball-pythons.net/gallery/file...803_190600.jpg

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Originally Posted by Kibbleswhites

Hatchlings are pretty simple. Put baby in a folded paper towel then into a sandwich bag, note where head is. It will be still and calm because it is dark and safe in there. Completely smash head with any tool or your thumb. It does not take much to do and the towel should be wet when the job is done well. It is very fast and the hatchlings that I have done this way due to severe kinking and jaw deformaties have gone very fast with nearly no twitching afterwards. Since it is already in a bag, there is no mess or gore to see. It happens, even when you have done everything right.

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How much pressure does it take with your thumb? This is something I hope I don't have to do ever, but I realize I'll probably do it at least once in my life. I even felt a little bad killing some rats with co2 even though the alternative would be feeding them live to a snake (which is a much worse way to go imo). I've read about a hammer and everything but I've hit a few nails before and my aim is not something to brag about. While I'd hate to feel the squish I'd feel better knowing it was done right and done quickly with the animal feeling as little pain as possible.

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Originally Posted by Matches Beck

Hi folks,
it's been a while since someone posted something, so i'm gonna share my experience on this subject.

I'm pretty sure, that the shark mouth deformation mostly is caused by humidity issues.
I had a Bumbelbelly x Ivory clutch (3 eggs) in 2014, that had the same problem. 2 of the animals peeked out of the egg, the third one died in the egg. The eggs dried out for about a day or two, because i didn't put the top cover of the box on correctly, so most of the humidity got lost too quickly.
The babys would have been 2 gorgeous Bumblebellys and one SpiderIvory (possible BumblebeeIvory).

This year i had a BlackPastel het. Albino x AlbinoSpider clutch with the same incubation issue. I check the incubator every one or two days. at about week 3 into incubation i noticed that the eggs were dipping and then noticed that all the water in the box was gone (to this day i don't know why, all other clutches were ok). I immediately refilled the box with water and the eggs recoiled a bit, but not to the original form. 2 days ago on day 58 of incubation i cut the eggs just a tiny bit to see if there is anything alive in those eggs. One day later a Classic het. Albino and a AlbinoBlackbee were peeking out. Sadly both with the deformed/way to short jaw. The 2 remaining animals are still sitting in the egg and haven't peeked out jet. Over the night, the first 2 that peeked out thoght it was a good idea to leave the egg. The Classic strangled itself with its ambilical cord and was discovered dead in the morning. The AlbinoBlackbee was still allive. I seperated the AlBb to an other plastic box with wet tissue on the bottom. At this point the animal still hat it's ambilical cord attatched to the yolk that remained in the egg. I honestly expected the animal to be dead in the evening, but supringly it somehow cut the amilical cord and its belly closed up. Then i noticed severe wobbling with the animal and of course the way to short lower jaw. Right now, i'm waiting for the other 2 to climb out of their egg, but i expect them to have the same deformation. I'll keep you guys updated.

In 2014 i've had a second clutch with 2 deformed babys. But i think that's something for an other thread, because they didn't have the shark mouth. But that was the most horrific clutch i've ever hatched. Severe head deformation + belly grown together + heart beating outside of the body. I took pictures and a clip of that, but honestly try to avoid looking at it cause it disturbs me too much.

When i finally figure out how to upload pics here i'll post some of them

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I have an update on Shark Mouth... So being that I believed this deformity was environmental or some freakish anomaly and not related to the genetics, I bred the same mother again to a different male this time, and as the babies hatched, I've found that only 1 of the hatchlings do not have shark mouth. Everything else from other mother's are hatching fine in the same incubator. So this is the second time in a row for me the same mother has given me shark mouth babies. She had healthy babies with her previous owner apparently, so I don't know what to think. Maybe shark mouth can have a genetic aspect to it, and also be environmental in other cases.

This little sweetheart came from the boob egg, very underdeveloped head with shark mouth, and severe kinking. I thought he would pass on his own but unfortunately was humanely euthanized via pithing.

http://i.imgur.com/Er6AjJyl.jpg


Bumblebee with a slight shark mouth. It looks worse from the side than from chin up view. This deformity seems way less severe than the previous clutch shown on the first page of this thread, so I am hoping it will make it. From the second photo's view it almost looks like he has a normal lower jaw.

http://i.imgur.com/KTvOVgBl.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/CvSLz27l.jpg

Were the same genes involved in the second breeding?

( I know the mothers will be :P )

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Originally Posted by dr del

Were the same genes involved in the second breeding?

( I know the mothers will be :P )

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Similar! First sire was Pastel Lesser Spider, second sire was Enchi Lesser Spider

Before giving up on her I'd be heck of a tempted to try a combo without lesser or spider it ( though to be honest I'm more thinking spider ).

I think that one baby has a good chance, as long as the jaw opens and closes. Good luck!

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Originally Posted by bks2100

How much pressure does it take with your thumb? This is something I hope I don't have to do ever, but I realize I'll probably do it at least once in my life. I even felt a little bad killing some rats with co2 even though the alternative would be feeding them live to a snake (which is a much worse way to go imo). I've read about a hammer and everything but I've hit a few nails before and my aim is not something to brag about. While I'd hate to feel the squish I'd feel better knowing it was done right and done quickly with the animal feeling as little pain as possible.

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Like squishing a cherry tomato, strawberry, or palmetto bug, not much at all.