breeders, I need you...

OK; the egg that was denting; it dented so severely that the shell cracked at the tip of one of the dents. The opening was about a quarter of an inch big; it actually seemed like the snake wanted to come out (at least seeing that hole.) We took a flashlight, looked in VERY carefully, and.. there's a little snake in there. I was able to make out his face, and it is TINY; the head isn't even an inch long!
I am completely at a loss; it and its vermiculite are Not dehydrated; you could actually see red veins still attached to the shell, and I could also see a tiny TINY part of the snake's pattern; scales and all. I am overwhelmed and amazed by how TINY he is; proportionally, the body is little wider than a #2 pencil.
Do you think this baby will still live, if it is not yet ready to come out but the shell has breached like this? Think I should I take a bandaid and tape the opening shut; I have read that ppl have done this when, say, an egg breaks during seperation from a rotten egg, with good results. It is not moving, but the veins are red and it is fully formed, judging by the tiny part of the head I saw.
There is still a good bit of yolk in there too; I really don't think the snake is ready to come out. This is day 56.

That is a good size description but is there any way you could take a picture next to a familiar object like coin?

I can try to get a pic; wouldn't you know someone is borrowing our *%$^% camera... I am going absolutely nuts here. Take a bottle cap from a 2-liter of soda, the head, if cut off, would fit right in with no room to spare lengthwise (what a gruesome picture, lol, but I hope it gives you an idea...)

Ball python eggs don't crack.

The snake made that slit with it's egg tooth ... leave it alone ... it will be over soon one way or the other. ;)

-adam

if it is a small slit, i would leave it be. a very small slit in the shell at day 56 shouldn't do any harm.

vaughn

oh wow; so there's no need to put anything like a bandaid on it? Geez, I don't want to smother it! But I am still worried; it didn't seem like he was moving around!

patience, your going to need some when the head pips too! they can sit for few days with just their head out, taunting you.


vaughn

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Originally Posted by Ginevive

so there's no need to put anything like a bandaid on it?

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You want him to come out don't you? :P How did you think he was going to get out of the egg? That's how they get -r- done.

-adam

this is so exciting

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Originally Posted by Adam_Wysocki

You want him to come out don't you? :P How did you think he was going to get out of the egg? That's how they get -r- done.

-adam

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http://userpages.sofnet.com/marty/GIT_R_DONE.jpg

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Originally Posted by Ginevive

oh wow; so there's no need to put anything like a bandaid on it? Geez, I don't want to smother it! But I am still worried; it didn't seem like he was moving around!

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Like Adam said let it set and your little freind will come out when he/she is ready.Yes it will peak out and when it notices you looking it will slip back in its shell.Wait until you have a whole clutch and your waiting for them to hatch VERY NERVE RACKING :P

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Originally Posted by joepythons

Like Adam said let it set and your little freind will come out when he/she is ready.Yes it will peak out and when it notices you looking it will slip back in its shell.Wait until you have a whole clutch and your waiting for them to hatch VERY NERVE RACKING :P

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I think it would be a little more nerve racking starting out with a whole clutch and ending up with only one egg... Good job Ginevive..

I am just worried because he's not moving. How long do you think it'll take him to absorb that egg yolk that's still in there? I see no tongue flicking; could he possibly not be formed enough to leave the egg yet? Will the egg's opening affect him if so? I have never felt this way, wondering a thousand things at once about something that's just sitting there, lol.
Amazingly, the egg is now rounder and not as dented; almost as if the crack enabled it to de-pressurize or something.

Poke him with a q-tip and see if he moves..

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Originally Posted by Ginevive

I am just worried because he's not moving. How long do you think it'll take him to absorb that egg yolk that's still in there? I see no tongue flicking; could he possibly not be formed enough to leave the egg yet? Will the egg's opening affect him if so? I have never felt this way, wondering a thousand things at once about something that's just sitting there, lol.
Amazingly, the egg is now rounder and not as dented; almost as if the crack enabled it to de-pressurize or something.

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With him moving in their it will move the dented parts.I know you do not see him/her moving but it is.I normaly have mine leave the egg within a day or two of slitting the eggs.I think you said it was day 54 if so it should be formed enough.If it makes you feel a little better i had to assist one of my babies this year.She was unable to pipp the shell so i assisted her and she was only 45 grams.Now she is eating rat crawlers with no problems:D .If you look at the thread in the sale/trade section here she is one of the 2 i have for sale.You can not tell the differance unless you look at her feed card.

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Originally Posted by Ginevive

I am just worried because he's not moving. How long do you think it'll take him to absorb that egg yolk that's still in there? I see no tongue flicking; could he possibly not be formed enough to leave the egg yet? Will the egg's opening affect him if so? I have never felt this way, wondering a thousand things at once about something that's just sitting there, lol.
Amazingly, the egg is now rounder and not as dented; almost as if the crack enabled it to de-pressurize or something.

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It's not a crack, it's a slit. Chicken eggs "crack", ball python eggs do not.

They move very little, almost not at all until they come out.

No, you probably won't see any tongue flicking until it's at least out of the egg.

Yes, he/she will sit in there for DAYS ... could be 2, could be 6 ... it's up to the snake.

If he/she wasn't "formed enough", he/she would not have slit the egg ... they don't slit until they're ready, after they slit, they don't come out until they're ready.

In the last 6 weeks I've hatched well over 120 ball pythons ... whats going on with yours doesn't sound any different than every single one of those 120+. ;) :sweeet:

-adam

Gin, you are truly blessed (as we all are) to have this kind of support, wisdom and help through this forum. Can you imagine facing this alone! Sending wonderful thoughts your way that all will be well and a healthy, albeit small BP will come out of that egg in a few days.

I appreciate you guys more than anyone could ever know! :) My theory on this, is that, due to the lower temps the egg was at in the first few days, it it had developed a little slower than normal. Now that I have this awesome incubator and its ability to keep those temps right, I feel 100% prepared for next year's breeding season. These eggs came at me out of the blue, I was not even slightly prepared and had to rig an incubator up out of a cooler and some flexwatts.
Thanks you guys; as an update, I have to say that nothing looks dif w/ the egg; but I am learning to be more patient. I will try to get our cam back and take a pic; Thanks!

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Originally Posted by Ginevive

I appreciate you guys more than anyone could ever know! :) My theory on this, is that, due to the lower temps the egg was at in the first few days, it it had developed a little slower than normal. Now that I have this awesome incubator and its ability to keep those temps right, I feel 100% prepared for next year's breeding season. These eggs came at me out of the blue, I was not even slightly prepared and had to rig an incubator up out of a cooler and some flexwatts.
Thanks you guys; as an update, I have to say that nothing looks dif w/ the egg; but I am learning to be more patient. I will try to get our cam back and take a pic; Thanks!

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If you are like me(small breeder) the patient and nervous part never goes away,when i am waiting for a clutch to hatch out:oops: .Right now i am waiting for my second corn snake clutches to hatch out from my silver queen and snow,and they are due first or second week of August.I am constantly looking in the windows of the incubator.I also know how you feel with finding that surprise clutch of eggs as it happened to me last year(corn snakes) :O .Let us know when he/she comes out to say hello new world lol.

Good luck Gin I can't begin to put myself in your position.I would've melted the apt floor from paceing so hard.I went through some thing similar back in my saltwater hobby.I bought a banded shark egg and he took a whole month to hatch. The good thing with them is you could see them pretty well in the light and know when their comin. I'd take Adam's advice and just try to do other thing's to get your mind off the little guy

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Originally Posted by joepythons

If you are like me(small breeder) the patient and nervous part never goes away,when i am waiting for a clutch to hatch out:oops: .Right now i am waiting for my second corn snake clutches to hatch out from my silver queen and snow,and they are due first or second week of August.I am constantly looking in the windows of the incubator.I also know how you feel with finding that surprise clutch of eggs as it happened to me last year(corn snakes) :O .Let us know when he/she comes out to say hello new world lol.

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I don't think it goes away for a big breeder either. Can you imagine waiting for a $20,000 snake to hatch? :tricho:

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Originally Posted by Wild Bill

Can you imagine waiting for a $20,000 snake to hatch? :tricho:

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Well actually ... yes. ;) :D :headbang:

-adam

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Originally Posted by Adam_Wysocki

Well actually ... yes. ;) :D :headbang:

-adam

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So does the nervous part ever go away? ;)

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Originally Posted by Wild Bill

So does the nervous part ever go away? ;)

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The more you do it, the easier it gets ... I'm WAY relaxed this year compared to previous years.

-adam

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Originally Posted by Wild Bill

I don't think it goes away for a big breeder either. Can you imagine waiting for a $20,000 snake to hatch? :tricho:

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Yea i would be a basket case:rolleye2: lol.

Congrats Jen. The waiting will be over soon enough. I think your little buddy will be just fine.