Dried Out Eggs

[Ax01]

i was super busy this weekend and forgot to throw these out. these 4 eggshells were left on top of the incubator rather than the rubbish bin. i threw them out this morning but not before a few pix. anyways i just thought they were interesting.

they once carried life.


now empty, hardened shells of their former selves.


which was full of love and warmth, is now run dry.



but to escape is liberation.


thanks for looking.

[C.Marie]

Thats actually real kinda of neat, had me a Jurassic Park moment where the find the empty eggs and realized the animals were breeding. Thank you for sharing and best wishes always.. Now more pictures of them babes

[Bogertophis]

Back when I was breeding some snakes, I always rinsed, dried & KEPT all those empty eggs...they're wonderful for "show & tell" to kids of all ages (incl adults!)-
it's helps when explaining the life of a snake...how they cut their way from an egg & then have to survive totally on their own...it helps build empathy in people
that have no experience with snakes. The other thing I noticed is that an empty snake-egg shell sounds & even bounces very similar to a ping-pong ball when
you fine one that's fairly rounded (more intact)... I've done programs & show-&-tells with my snakes for many years, and the more 'props' you have, the better.
So of course shed skins too...if you get them when they're still moist & carefully unroll them, you can blow into the mouth opening to inflate them...that helps to
get them laid out flat to dry. (don't actually put your lips ON the old skin, just blow in from close up) Nature museums would love these things as would many
schools (science classes etc).

With the egg shells, it's funny when you see just how indecisive some snakes are too (or maybe it's efficient?): some only cut one or 2 holes, while some
others slash 6 or more...they look in all directions before they venture out....they probably end up buying life insurance too?

[Craiga 01453]

Cool idea Ax, thanks for sharing!

[dr del]

I also used to dry them all out and try and keep them. Takes a fair bit of room over the years though even for a small breeder.

[Bogertophis]

I also used to dry them all out and try and keep them. Takes a fair bit of room over the years though even for a small breeder.

I lived in the desert southwest in those days, so at least mine dried fast. And every year I mostly gave them away...that cuts down on the space taken.

[Ladybugzcrunch]

Back when I was breeding some snakes, I always rinsed, dried & KEPT all those empty eggs...they're wonderful for "show & tell" to kids of all ages (incl adults!)-
it's helps when explaining the life of a snake...how they cut their way from an egg & then have to survive totally on their own...it helps build empathy in people
that have no experience with snakes. The other thing I noticed is that an empty snake-egg shell sounds & even bounces very similar to a ping-pong ball when
you fine one that's fairly rounded (more intact)... I've done programs & show-&-tells with my snakes for many years, and the more 'props' you have, the better.
So of course shed skins too...if you get them when they're still moist & carefully unroll them, you can blow into the mouth opening to inflate them...that helps to
get them laid out flat to dry. (don't actually put your lips ON the old skin, just blow in from close up) Nature museums would love these things as would many
schools (science classes etc).

With the egg shells, it's funny when you see just how indecisive some snakes are too (or maybe it's efficient?): some only cut one or 2 holes, while some
others slash 6 or more...they look in all directions before they venture out....they probably end up buying life insurance too?

I did this as well. Once I got several dozen, I threw away all but my first clutch. Had the shells for a long time before they went too.

[the_rotten1]

Huh, I just throw most of mine away. A few get fed to my kingsnake. He likes them while they're nice and soft, but after they've dried out he can't seem to get them down.

[Ax01]

huh, i just threw them away right after those pix. maybe i'll keep some nice ones next time.

Huh, I just throw most of mine away. A few get fed to my kingsnake. He likes them while they're nice and soft, but after they've dried out he can't seem to get them down.

really? that's kinda neat but what nutritional value is there in egg shells? i imagine they all become urates right away and the embryonic fluid would be a petri dish and foul tasting. Kings are truly garbage disposals tho!

[the_rotten1]

that's kinda neat but what nutritional value is there in egg shells?

Probably not much, but he's eaten a hatchling BP that failed the thrive, so I figured I'd throw an empty egg or two in his cage and see what happened. They must have smelled appealing, because he ate one. I suppose I might try feeding him a slug next, if I ever get any. All good eggs from my girls so far this year.

I didn't give them to him as a meal all on their own, btw. It was just a snack in addition to his regular feedings. I didn't notice any difference in his poop or urates afterwards.

Just figured that they might serve a purpose rather then being thrown away. Maybe King got a few extra calories out of it.