Ball python eggs not moving? Help?!?!

[Taylor12794]

Ok so I have a regular female ball python and a pastel male, my female laid eggs on April 27, 2015 she laid 7 eggs 1 slug (my first clutch). On day 55 which was June 20th I made the decision to cut then because from what I've been told they could drown if not done at the right time. I did a very careful job and don't think I hit any veins. The slug i am almost 100% sure is dead but the others I cut still have yet to come out of the eggs but some I can see are still moving. I incubated at 89 degrees and about 80% humidity and all looked very good. So one or two of the eggs I can see have not moved I looked in there and can't see him moving and I think he is either an albino or just white, I gently touched him with a q-tip and still no movement. After I cut them I put them back into the incubator. I'm afraid I might have killed him. So my question is do you think he could be dead or just staying very still? He looks fully developed as the others but I can see the others moving. How long does it take for them to come out of the egg? Help I'm very worried!

[BoiseBallz]

... I made the decision to cut then because from what I've been told they could drown if not done at the right time...

Not true. Ball Pythons have been able to manage hatching in the wild without the aid of scissors for quite a while. That doesn't mean that you shouldn't cut, but you don't need to.

Ok so I have a regular female ball python and a pastel male... I think he is either an albino or just white...

Can you see any areas of orange/yellow coloration, or is it all white? If it's all white, then it isn't an albino, and it shouldn't come from this pairing unless the parents aren't what you think they are. An albino, however, could happen if your parents are both unknowingly het albino. It may be helpful to post a pic of the parents to help figure out what is going on. Alternatively, it may not be moving due to a fatal chromosomal anomaly that also caused it to be all white.

...How long does it take for them to come out of the egg? Help I'm very worried...

It's variable from snake to snake and clutch to clutch. There's really not anything to do at this point but wait and see what comes out (or doesn't). If one or two come out, and you still haven't seen a head pop out or any movement, then you may want to explore a little further, but you are unlikely to find anything that you can materially change (like an umbilical torsion), so just try to relax and see what you get.

[boafa]

If the snake is all white, more than likely it is undeveloped and not alive.... I would stick my finger in the egg and lift the head out.... You'll find out real quick if its alive or dead.....

[Taylor12794]

Not true. Ball Pythons have been able to manage hatching in the wild without the aid of scissors for quite a while. That doesn't mean that you shouldn't cut, but you don't need to.




Can you see any areas of orange/yellow coloration, or is it all white? If it's all white, then it isn't an albino, and it shouldn't come from this pairing unless the parents aren't what you think they are. An albino, however, could happen if your parents are both unknowingly het albino. It may be helpful to post a pic of the parents to help figure out what is going on. Alternatively, it may not be moving due to a fatal chromosomal anomaly that also caused it to be all white.


It's variable from snake to snake and clutch to clutch. There's really not anything to do at this point but wait and see what comes out (or doesn't). If one or two come out, and you still haven't seen a head pop out or any movement, then you may want to explore a little further, but you are unlikely to find anything that you can materially change (like an umbilical torsion), so just try to relax and see what you get.

From what hat I can see is all what with black stripes, I believe it's white because on the other snakes I can see the brownish color they usually have, could this also mean he is dead because he is white? Another thing I think he is upside down now that I looked really hard but still he isant moving. Since I cut them on day 55 does that prevent them from from growing anymore than they would have if I didn't cut the egg?

[Daigga]

Pictures are worth a thousand words. How much of the egg did you cut away? What does this mystery white snake actually look like? I'm kind of doubting you botched cutting badly enough to kill off the babies, and if they're dead at this point it was probably something else that did it. Are you sure your Temps held at 89 the whole time?

[Taylor12794]

I have a picture on my iPad but can't figure out how to resize it... But I only cut a hole big enough for them to get their head out and it doesn't stink in the incubator so I don't think they are dead, just checked on them and I believe all moved but the one I was worried about. But I didn't hit any veins or anything when I cut them I was very careful and yeah I used a reptibator and left it at 89 and checked it every day. Does me cutting the of like stop their growing or?

[ratchet]

Oh man. This will be me one day, stressed and worried about babies. I hope the little guy is okay! Congrats on your first clutch!!

[Albert Clark]

Oh, yes! Congrats on the first clutch. Just curious, what incubation medium did you use? Also, with the reptibator you usually have to tweak the temperature setting on the thermostat to get the correct temp inside the gator. Did you have tubs inside and were they covered or uncovered? Did you happen to use press and seal or no? In any event job well done and I hope the clutch turns out ok. I know that reptibator has a proportional thermostat. But the temps inside the tubs should have a separate thermometer and condensation on the inside of the tub as well.

[Taylor12794]

Thanks! And I used vermiculite with a 2:1 ratio so it wasn't too wet but not too dry. And yeah the reptibator had a setting where it would put of an alarm it it went within however many degrees you set, so say I set it at 89 I set it so it would tell me if it went over a 1 degree change. I had them in little separate tub aware containers with lids and checked them every 4 days or so to make sure they were getting enough humidity. And also I did go out and but myself another just regular temperature gauge thing and set it right on top so I could look in and make sure the temp was the Same as it says on the digital screen.

[Taylor12794]

Pictures are worth a thousand words. How much of the egg did you cut away? What does this mystery white snake actually look like? I'm kind of doubting you botched cutting badly enough to kill off the babies, and if they're dead at this point it was probably something else that did it. Are you sure your Temps held at 89 the whole time?