1st Substrateless clutch hatched

[PythonWallace]

This is my second clutch of RAPTORS to hatch, but this is the 1st time I tried to go substrateless for leos. One RAPTOR had it's head poking out this morning, and he darted out when I moved the egg box. I made sort of a steamer chamber for these eggs using 2 tupperware bowls, some tape and an air tight lid. As you can see, it appears that you can hatch a lot of species using no substrate. I love it because it takes any guess work out of how much water and ventilation to have. I'm also testing a clutch on rockwool substrate, but it's only one egg, and I don't think it's fertile. The other one should be out soon. I have a 50/50 shot of another RAPTOR or an APTOR het R.

[ADEE]

im confused... what is substrateless way of doing it your talking about?? Are the eggs just sitting in a container and then put ontop of substrate? Can you explain it a bit more? Im very interested!

Congrats on the baby!!! Cant wait to see what the other one looks like

[PythonWallace]

There is wet perlite in the bottom bowl, then I drilled a bunch of pin holes in another bowl and placed that into the perlite bowl. I put a layer of tape around the two bowl lips to make a tight seal, then the eggs went in. So yes, the eggs just sat in a plastic bowl with nothing else in it. They only received humidity from the bowl below them. I'm sure there are easier ways to do it, but the egg crate I use for ball python eggs is too open for small leo eggs, so I made the "steamer".

[jglass38]

Great job, Jake! I wonder if having them with no substrate could make them more prone to rolling when you check on them. I always mark the eggs when I start incubating anyway but just a thought.

[PythonWallace]

Thanks, Jamie. The bowls I use have a groove around the bottom edge that I put the eggs in so they don't roll. Like I said, I'm sure there's a better way to do it, but I just wanted to see if they would hatch without being burried in substrate.

[ADEE]

what a neat idea!! I might have to try that with our next clutch thats due very soon!

[yellermelon]

wow thats pretty cool. you should do a write up on a step by step how to. As Albey did with his perlite write up. I am very interested and would love to try this!