So tiny......so sad

So my unexpected clutch of eggs that I got ( read post here http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...ected-surprise if you don't know what I'm talking about ) yielded me some small babies. I just pulled this one out of the egg because it was dead, and so small!!

http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u...4/IMAG1094.jpg

http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u...4/IMAG1095.jpg

You can't read the scale since my flash wasn't working due to an almost dead battery, but it says 13 grams. And of course it had to be one of the two pastels in the clutch :(

That's really sad, are the others doing ok?

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Originally Posted by The Serpent Merchant

That's really sad, are the others doing ok?

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The other 3 are still alive, but the two normals look to be on the small side as well. The other pastel is bigger, like a normal hatchling and still happier than a pig in poo in the membrane. All the others had their heads poking out already. I was shocked with how small the one pastel looked still in the egg, and it was moving around and poking its head out this morning. Poor thing probably wouldn't have lived for very long anyway :(

Aww poor thing! At least it didn't suffer for very long. I can't see it eating on its own, much less finding it small enough things to eat that would be nutritious enough to help.

Poor little one, hope the others are doing well.

So small :( Bless it's little heart.

Aw sorry to hear that heather. I hope the others pull through for ya!

Poor baby. Sorry for your loss. Hope all the others do well

How sad, poor little guy.

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Awwww, I'm so sorry Heather. I hope the other little sweetie pies make it. Please keep us updated.

And another one :(

http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u...4/IMAG1096.jpg

http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u...4/IMAG1097.jpg

http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u...4/IMAG1098.jpg

I think the other two are headed in the same direction :'(
This one looked like it was already starting to shed. I thought that was a little weird......

I am sorry for your loss I fear that part of my breeding project hope the rest make it for you

Im so sorry for what youre going through Why did this happen? Because you took it away from the mother when your incubator wasn't fully ready?

I'm no expert, since this is only my second year breeding balls, I'm wondering if this might have anything to do with the female being much smaller than the "normal" female breeding size.

To be completely honest, Chad feels it has something to do with me cutting them. I cut them on day 54 ( or was it day 55?. Crap I've been up for over 24 hrs so I can't remember......). If anyone has any thoughts, suggests or even some criticism, as to maybe what might have caused these hatchlings to be so small, I would love to hear what you have to say. I definitely don't want to make the same mistakes twice, if that's the case.

That's so sad. I'm also wondering why they didn't survive.


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Originally Posted by Solarsoldier001

Im so sorry for what youre going through Why did this happen? Because you took it away from the mother when your incubator wasn't fully ready?

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Hmmmmm......I didn't think of that before! I guess its a possibility. I'm hoping someone with more experience can help answer that question. I honestly feel like a fool for having almost a whole clutch die :(

Poor little babies! They were so small. :(

there still looks to be a lot of yolk left there?
this is my first year so I only know what I have read and helped with thanks to some cool breeders near me.
But like I said, it doesnt look like the yolk was absorbed very well. Were their cords twisted?

I am sorry, it sucks and I dont know how well I could handle it:please:

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Originally Posted by PitOnTheProwl

there still looks to be a lot of yolk left there?
this is my first year so I only know what I have read and helped with thanks to some cool breeders near me.
But like I said, it doesnt look like the yolk was absorbed very well. Were their cords twisted?

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The last one I just posted pics of had the cord wrapped around its body :(

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Originally Posted by heathers*bps

The last one I just posted pics of had the cord wrapped around its body :(

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My buddy just lost two, one was wrapped like that and the oter actually looked like someone tied a knot in it!!! I wouldnt have believed it if I hadent seen it when we took it out of the egg. I couldnt have tied a better knot:weirdface

Honestly, it could be any number of things or just a fluke. I've had corn clutches with fully formed babies inside the egg dead after everything was done right. There have been others where the babies hatched out small but made it. It's just like anything else so don't beat yourself up about it. Just go over everything that could possibly have gone wrong but while you do, remember that these snakes have been surviving in the wild where temps weren't constantly regulated and they didn't have humans helping them out. Sometimes stuff just happens.

The babies look to be fully formed but there did seem to be yolk left. If the other 2 do make it, you can feed them up. I had a corn hatchling bought from a breeder that weighed only 3 grams (bad decision, I know but he was too pretty to ignore). He's still lean but now pounds fuzzies like there's no tomorrow so there is hope. Worst case scenario, you can tube feed to get them up in weight a bit before they start eating on their own. Good luck and I'm sorry to hear about the 2 that didn't make it. That's one of the toughest parts of breeding. :hug:

:( That is really sad

The other pastel died as well. It was a whopping 25 grams :(

Sorry to hear this!