Waiting...and swearing not to cut.

My female ball python lays late in the season.

I have three more days until day 60. The eggs are still candling with veins, they've all collapsed (started on day 50 to collapse), they don't smell bad and haven't molded, and I'm waiting for the first one to pip.

I saw a different forum thread where it took 69 days for the first one to pip. Wow. That's some patience.

Waiting is hard, 'cause I don't know if they are OK in there. (Had to buy an air conditioner to fight heat spikes.) I tried to keep the temps around 88-89. Swearing not to cut though till the first one pips. I swear. Still, what do you do while you wait? How do you sleep?

And also a little random, my female, though I'm not sure I'm gonna breed her this year (a bit underweight for my taste at 1400 currently) is seeking the cool side of the tank (80 degrees on that end) even after she eats, which is a bit odd for her. If I don't breed her, is it odd to hope she doesn't retain sperm or produce slugs? Or am I doomed?

Oh, and anyone else still waiting for eggs to hatch from the 2011 season? I need someone to commiserate with, I think.

If it will make you feel better you could put a tiny cut into one of the creases on the deflated eggs so that they "can have a good starting point to cut themselves out" lol. It's impossible to tell if your female retained any sperm but even if she did, she would be fine laying again next season. Also there are plenty of late layers this season, I'm sure everything will be just fine. If you are still having trouble get some Melatonin, stuff works wonders.

Want to know how to resist cutting ? Read this thread: http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...ICTURE-WARNING I warn you though, it is VERY hard to read/see.

Believe me, as hard as it is to wait, waiting is well worth it. I waited on my last clutch until 67 days. But after what happened, I found waiting for this one almost easy.

Gale

Thanks to you both. Last season, I think my temps were too high... lost 3 out of 5, but emerged at around day 57.... with one eager to get out. TT So I'm fretting more this year, but I realize it'll take longer.

Soooo not cutting. Washing with saline and watching them dry out isn't my thing. Just hoping for the best for the babies inside.

Should I twiddle my thumbs?

Thumb twiddling works, if you are good at it.

Sitting on your hands while you rock back and forth can also help.


Gale

Also, I'm not candling them unless they start to rot. =P I didn't candle them that often. I swear. Once a week maybe.

Last season I used a Hoverbator. Elew. Not doing that again. Temps were so uneven and the moisture too. Wish I had seen more warnings about that. So this season used a cooler and made my own set up. Upgrading the set up slowly...

Waiting is very hard to do! Patience is a virtue that I am very painfully having to learn. For me, I only pip the eggs after at least 2 eggs pip on their own. I figure if at least two are ready, the others probably are to. Good luck holding out!

Trust me, at least let a few pip if you must cut.

Here's the story behind my clutch this year-
http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...er-5-or-6-days


I'm starting to doubt the other 3 will pip at all...

How do I sleep? I cut them, sorry I'm not much help here :P

Day 58. Nothing. Fine with that. Still keep expecting something to pop out especially since one of the eggs has collapsed about 1/4? of the way (terrible with estimating percentages though)

I'm prepared to wait until day 69... =P Next week. I saw someone who said their temps were 89 and didn't get anything until the 69th day. Haha.

Supposed to be cool this week, so I have less worries about heat spikes.

I hope they are safe in there. I've worked really hard for them.

Just goes to show you how long they really need in there... Good for you for being patient. I've cut, and have decided I will not be cutting any more. They know when they are ready.

Day 59. Nothing.

Amusing myself with my other snakes' behavior instead. My female ball python (their mother) is chilling outside of her hides and has pushed the other one around. (Her hides are made out of kitty litter containers I customized for the purpose. She gets a 40 gallon tank which I've covered with a beach towel.)

She's on top of one of her hides and seems to really like it. She's been doing this since she laid her eggs. When she was gravid she'd hide All the time. Almost as if she's saying, freedom. Last year I don't remember her doing it quite so much.

She hung out at the cool end and kept eyeing me as if she wanted food. And kept doing so until I opened that end of the cage and gave her some. She's eating well too and doing so aggressively. Her colors have returned to normal, which I oddly like better than her glow (the yellow fade on her belly is more intense.)

She also freaked out when I stirred a ceramic pot near her cage. O.o; I don't get why she cared at all.

She's not acting like a typical ball python and hiding all the time... showing off her confidence, I think.

Hoping some of the hatchlings inherit her personality, even if her personality is kinda quirky for a ball python. (Out most of the time and eats well) One of the hatchlings last year did.

Maybe if she eats well enough I'll breed her. She's up to about 1450? (with no rat)

And yay hopefully-daddy pastel ate. Was on hunger strike for too long.

I also readied the shoe boxes this morning by emptying them of what they had in the off season and cleaning them out.

I also cleaned the top of the egg box of condensation. Don't need dripping on the eggs.

Played with the rats. =P I've trained them very well and spoiled them rotten. I've given up on breeding them.

Twiddling thumbs this way. Exhibiting patience.

good luck. pictures when they finally say hello. lol

Of course, of course. Goes without saying. I hope to hit a pastel. But I'll be happy if I get all normals too since the parents have some awesome patterns.

If you need some more help to kill time, trying alphabetizing your canned goods and boxes in the kitchen cabinet.

Empty your dish cabinets, wash all the dishes, wipe out the cabinets and put the clean dishes back.

Organize your fridge and freezer, I'm always amazed at how much stuff I find I forgot was in there.

Do your summer to winter clothes changeover if you haven't already.

See, I have all kinds of tips for making the time drag less slowly.

Gale

Day 60, nothing. I'm going to candle tonight if they don't hatch since I haven't done so for 9 days--just quickly to make sure they're still veins. No mold on either side of the eggs, no drastic change in color. They are still all white. A little development of an additional mini window in one. They haven't collapsed that much further either.

It's cold outside (for the eggs), so I don't blame them for not wanting to come out, even if I've been trying to keep them comfy inside. =P Checking their temps in the middle of the night to make sure something freaky doesn't happen.

Humidity is staying steady at around 49%, which works fine for me. They stayed plump for the majority of the incubation with that and I don't like moldy. It's arid in my part of the world... so 100% would be drowning them. O.o;

Amusing myself with playing with the rats. One of them is hooked on soybeans, but I know that's not a good idea... despite her seeming to announce it's her favorite ever. (the other rats have other favorites)

And my female ball python, despite my room being around 78 degrees is still on top of her hide, staring at the male ball pythons. O.o; Weirdo. I checked on her and called her name and then asked what she was doing... I have to do another weigh in soon. Hope she gets up to 1500... though I rather she be safe than breed her at a lower weight.

Come out safely little ones... I haven't screwed up as far as I know...

Day 60, middle one hatched, pipped, came out and shot back in. It's a normal. Shot back in when I uncovered the tub. *screams* I don't think I'll ever get tired of that. Looks healthy. *stares at other eggs*

http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/g...ling1-2012.jpg

You can see it here. I think it's a normal, but obviously, I can't tell without disturbing it... and I'd rather not risk infection. It'll come out when it wants to then I can find out.

(I only cut from the one slit to the other slit... it made two slits.)

Congrats!! Keep us updated!!!

I can commiserate... But I can't spell it, apparently. I'm waiting on het clown to het clown to hatch later this month.....

Sent from my ADR6400L using Tapatalk 2

Quick candling on the remaining 4 eggs revealed that they are fine and are moving and well developed. I did a minor clip (2 mm) on the super collapsed egg because I'm not sure how much air is in there. But that's as much as I interfered. From the candling they don't have much in the way of resources in there.Maybe 1/8 of the egg is left?

The middle one stuck its head out. I still can't fully tell if it's a pastel or not. I thought I saw a green eye, but then I could be deluding myself. (All my snakes have blushing...)

I care more about their safety more at this point.

Eating time crocheting.

Well, in the evening of Day 60, the second egg pipped. I also helped it out by clipping a larger opening. Then I made small cuts in the others, not to see what was inside, but just big enough for a head along the line I predrew by candling earlier so I wouldn't cut a major blood vessel. (Came up with the idea after seeing the veins with candling and several breeders saying "oops... well there that goes--cut a blood vessel" =P Not so much a fan of putting the egg into danger.

So in the middle of the night, the third hatchling stuck its head out, but the head was stuck, so I cut along the line a little further, very carefully and its head went back in. The second egg had a second cut in it so I cut to that too. Took a picture.

Based on that, I cut the opening on the other eggs (also on the predrawn line) a little bigger so their heads wouldn't get stuck.

This morning the fourth one is pipped. I saw its head. Definitely a pastel. Has the markings.

The one I'm worried about is the super collapsed egg number 5, which hasn't done much of anything. Was moving before (before day 51), and I hope it's OK, but, I'm not sure. I don't see a twisted umbilical and it looks really well developed (no kinks or anything), Kinda has the pattern of one of the fathers (which has a granite fade to him), but isn't moving or breathing much... might be because it's simply cold and doesn't have to breathe yet. Hoping it's fine. If it isn't there was nothing I could have done for it. Because the egg attached to it did just fine. I'm leaving it bee and not poking it on the hopes it's still OK. (there were veins yesterday on it before the cutting...)

So far Egg #1, Pastel. (absorbed a ton of its yolk overnight and seems to have actually grown?)
Egg #2, Normal (has closer to momma's pattern and color)
Egg # 3 Normal
Egg # 4, Pastel
Egg # 5 Normal ??? on survival.

Considering this was a normal x normal and a normal x pastel, (both males Graziani line, according to the seller) I'm thrilled to have two live pastels, no birth defects.

=P Hope the last one survives now I can sleep normally.

What I've learned (so far):
- Sleepless nights worrying about a 94-96 degree spike is worth it.
- Must have air conditioner. (bought one solely for the eggs)
- Having a Herp Stat is a must. (Used Hydrofarm, but was fussing with it all the time to trick it to stay between 88-89) Less insomnia~
- Lower temps are less a concern than higher temps.
- My area needs to put more vermiculite in the top layer 'cause it's arid. (I only got up to 60% at most, and that's condensation, which is dangerous anyway...)
- Know where your towel is ('cause I had a marble slab to cushion spikes and tipping it over, but the temp increase and decreases were too much and held for too long... so the towel helped ease that)
- Not cutting was so worth it. 4/5 so far... hoping for 5/5
- cooler worked better for me than a Hoberbator (last year was a nightmare)
- Maglite is the best for candling.
- Drawing lines to cut on while candling is a good idea. (so you don't cut major blood vessels)

When you don't have an air conditioner: ice, a bathroom with tile and a fan with indirect cooling works well, but you have to watch it like a hawk.

I'm not poking and prodding at all 'cause I don't want to get this far and then infect them... Pictures later. Hoping for the best on egg number 5... But I don't see movement. TT

Gratz on pipping and updates! Good luck with the 5th egg. :D

I have a photo album online of the whole thing, from the parents to being gravid, to the eggs pipping. I'll be adding the hatchling pics later.

I have to say, FOR ME, not cutting was sooo worth it.

As a bonus, I have pictures of candling and you can actually see one of the baby snakes developing and swimming around in the egg. (Maglite flashlights... I have a cheap 3 dollar one) Only candled 4? times.

http://photobucket.com/goldsheep-ball-python-2012

Oh and fifth one stuck its lazy head out. Worried me there. None of them are out yet, but that's fine.

Im confused why not let them stay with mom and her do all the work?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by fishdip

Im confused why not let them stay with mom and her do all the work?

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Mom was underweight this year. She weighed in at around 1350-1400 when she laid? So I didn't want to risk losing her to hatch the eggs. Sometimes females don't eat when they incubate the eggs... When she's up to 2000 grams and comes down to 1600, then I'll let her incubate.

In general, artificial incubation tends to be more stable... and I couldn't have cooled the eggs when there was a heat spike...

My girl is still not up far enough to get to 2000 grams. Maybe in a few years.

I see well thank you for the info I am still new to this so I had no idea. I am happy for you tho on your success of the new baby snakes.

Thanks for the slideshow/pics. Nice pic documentary of how things went.

Babies are looking good, gratz! :gj: :D :banana:


Love how you have (not for sale) on the parents' pics. lol.

Thanks.

I figure I can set it up for craigslist later since people want to see the parents, but I don't want to sell the parents.... but some people don't get that unless you write it out.

Though I'm strict about whom I sell to. (Must be able to handle a 5 foot snake and have all equipment ready at sale date. Willing to take care of animal for its life, no instant! reselling.)

Kid said he wanted to buy snake, but his father didn't like large snakes. No sale, dude. Get permission first. Snake before you. Do not need the snake to end up in a shelter amongst idiots who can't sex it.

Woman wanted snake but couldn't afford the underbelly heating (Maximum 50 bucks? Minimum 25?)... Uhh... how are you going to afford the rats later on? No sale.

All sales also come with ability to ask questions and if there is trouble, they can always sell back for what I sold them to... 'cause snake is important, not the money.

Anyway, if you haven't seen it, the male pastel (Hatchling #1) is up. 77 grams. Is a mix of his mom and dad. More like the pattern influence is from mom in his back half and dad in his front half. I think he'd mix well with a splatter or a lesser. Almost no spots on his sides. Personality is more like his mom though, at this point. *would not let go of hand* *Would not go into hide box* *took a while to get to go into hide*==Mom. Daddy is more stay inside all the time and freaks seeing the light.

Others will follow once they are out. Hoping to hit the first female, 'cause previous owner of male snakes said none of them sired a female, ever, which according to snake biology is weird. (female determines the sex).