I personally choose to incubate the fertile eggs artificially. As mentioned above, it ensures that the eggs will hatch (as long as you keep the temps and humidity 100% accurate). I think it is safe to say that the majority of python breeders choose to do it this way. There are a few, however, that let the mother do the job. There are a couple things that are very important to put into persective when doing this, though. One, for those 60 days that she is "incubating" the eggs, she will recieve no needed nutrients from food (and she may not drink during this time, either). This is okay, but she has to be in tip-top-perfect-health (and on the hefty side). Also, the humidity in the enclosure needs to be very high in order to keep the eggs alive; and the temps need to be right on the dot; and there should be very little to no fluctuations.

I personally think that doing it that way causes two extra months of unneeded stress for the female. After she lays her eggs, she is INCREDIBLY under weight (think about it, depending on how many eggs she lays, she could be anywhere from 500-1500 grams less than she was pre-lay). I think that this is the time to get her back on a proper diet and get her back up to normal weight. Just my $0.02.

Jennifer