Move Them? Yes or No?

2 days ago a clutch was laid. I procrastinated and never set up the incubator.
Finally today it is tweaked and running at steady temps.
Do I move the eggs or let them be with the mother and just keep checking temps and keeping the humidity up?

Depends on what you want to do.

If you don't care what her weight is, you can leave her in with the eggs.

If you plan on breeding her again or getting her back to weight faster, take her off and put the eggs in the 'Bator.

I agree with Heather, Also after 24 hours eggs really shouldnt be messed with. Good luck Steve.

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Originally Posted by SPJ

2 days ago a clutch was laid. I procrastinated and never set up the incubator.
Finally today it is tweaked and running at steady temps.
Do I move the eggs or let them be with the mother and just keep checking temps and keeping the humidity up?

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Well- I actually just got finished reading a research article regarding ball pythons and the energy expenditure for parental care (which would then equal weight loss, which is always the argument.) Seems as though the author's research (Aubret, Bonnet, Shine & Maumelat, 2005) suggest that weight loss is due to maternal shivering done when temps drop beneath some critical level and the eggs need further warming. Their findings(and another paper I read about it today also) were that maternal weight loss when temps were controlled was not significant. Their findings also suggested that maternal brooding enhances the probability of healthy and viable offspring, compared to the eggs that taken and artificially incubated. NOTE: The incubation methodology was not what is being done on this forum. The incubation methodology was patterned after the nests, burrows, and mangrove habitats that the females lay their eggs and brood in.
So, should you leave your female with her eggs? If you keep the temps up, there ought to be non-significant weight loss. :rolleyes:
Should you take the eggs out? Artificial incubation means you believe you have greater control over the outcome- and maybe you do! :confused:
So, good luck choosing!!!! I'll be right where you are next season......:cool:

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Originally Posted by JASBALLS

Also after 24 hours eggs really shouldnt be messed with. Good luck Steve.

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Thanks. That's what I figured. Since I waited too long to set it up, I wasn't sure if I should take the chance and move them after almost 48 hours. She is wrapped pretty good and I will not be able to take them out neatly (they are all stuck together now in a pile).

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Originally Posted by starmom

Well- I actually just got finished reading a research article regarding ball pythons and the energy expenditure for parental care (which would then equal weight loss, which is always the argument.) Seems as though the author's research (Aubret, Bonnet, Shine & Maumelat, 2005) suggest that weight loss is due to maternal shivering done when temps drop beneath some critical level and the eggs need further warming. Their findings(and another paper I read about it today also) were that maternal weight loss when temps were controlled was not significant. Their findings also suggested that maternal brooding enhances the probability of healthy and viable offspring, compared to the eggs that taken and artificially incubated. NOTE: The incubation methodology was not what is being done on this forum. The incubation methodology was patterned after the nests, burrows, and mangrove habitats that the females lay their eggs and brood in.
So, should you leave your female with her eggs? If you keep the temps up, there ought to be non-significant weight loss. :rolleyes:
Should you take the eggs out? Artificial incubation means you believe you have greater control over the outcome- and maybe you do! :confused:
So, good luck choosing!!!! I'll be right where you are next season......:cool:

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I did not realize that BP's could shiver to raise the temps.

I am not too worried about her weight. I am more concerned about being able to maintain humidity.

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Originally Posted by SPJ

I did not realize that BP's could shiver to raise the temps.

I am not too worried about her weight. I am more concerned about being able to maintain humidity.

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Yeah, crazy huh? Pythons are the only endothermic animals known to generate heat metabolically (by shivering thermogenesis) to warm the clutch. This has been observed both in the field and laboratory as a means to maintain the high and constant temps within the clutch. Pretty cool.

Wow. I had always thought that BP's were one of the pythons that couldn't do this and only the larger species could. Hmm. Learn something new everyday.

Yup- but this article spoke specifically to Python regius... Learning is so cool!!

Is there any way the high humidity required for the clutch (It does have to be quite high doesn't it) is bad for the mother? I have never bred, I would just like to know:)

I've read an article before about full term artificial incubation, half-term artificial, and full term maternal. I am not sure what would be harmful about moving the eggs more than 24 hours after they were laid.

I have been breeding balls for years and I have never had a problem moving them at any time during incubation. I have been on vacation when eggs were laid, and didn't move them for days and they all hatched. I would say that I have removed eggs on day 2(I am busy) more than day one and still never had eggs go bad. I usually remove them within the first few days, but after years and years of breeding them, I can say with great confidence a few days is not going to hurt anything.

If they go bad, don't blame me, moving them now was not the problem.