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Hatchet_man_90221 View Profile |
WHATS THE BEST TEMP TO KEEP EGGS AT
THANKS JOHN |
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| 07/06/08 08:28pm |
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Greatballzofire View Profile |
Message To: Hatchet_man_90221 In reference to Message Id: 1784972 WHATS THE BEST TEMP TO KEEP EGGS AT
A link to a great little incubator, which makes keeping the temperature even a lot easier. We have many experts here who I hope will answer your question more fully than I can. The main thing is to not change the orientation of the eggs (you don’t turn them like with chicken eggs) and keep the temperature even and the humidity right. I,m sure L.Roy or Peter54 can give you the best advice. I did find this info:Artificial Incubation of Snake Eggs: Artificial incubation of fertile snake eggs is quite easy. A small amount of water is added to an empty Styrofoam picnic chest. Then, a thick layer of peat moss, sphagnum moss, vermiculite, shredded newspaper or paper towels is added. The eggs are carefully introduced into this medium. Slightly moistening the incubation material also helps prevent the eggs’ drying out. Too much moisture, however, promotes formation of mold, which will destroy the eggs’ contents. The relative humidity required to incubate snake eggs falls within the range of 75-85%. The covered Styrofoam chest is then placed on a heating pad, which is set on its lowest heat setting. The ideal temperature range for most incubation lies between 78 to 84° F. The average incubation period for most snakes ranges between 55 and 60 days. Hopefully you have a thermostat to regulate your temperatures in general. |
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| 07/06/08 08:57pm |
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L.ROY View Profile |
Message To: Greatballzofire In reference to Message Id: 1785037 WHATS THE BEST TEMP TO KEEP EGGS AT
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| 07/06/08 09:53pm |
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L.ROY View Profile |
Message To: L.ROY In reference to Message Id: 1785112 WHATS THE BEST TEMP TO KEEP EGGS AT
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| 07/06/08 10:03pm |
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Hatchet_man_90221 View Profile |
Message To: L.ROY In reference to Message Id: 1785117 WHATS THE BEST TEMP TO KEEP EGGS AT
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| 07/08/08 02:11pm |
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MilkY_king View Profile |
Message To: Hatchet_man_90221 In reference to Message Id: 1787106 WHATS THE BEST TEMP TO KEEP EGGS AT
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| 07/08/08 02:24pm |
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Hatchet_man_90221 View Profile |
Message To: MilkY_king In reference to Message Id: 1787124 WHATS THE BEST TEMP TO KEEP EGGS AT
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| 07/08/08 02:31pm |
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Hatchet_man_90221 View Profile |
Message To: Hatchet_man_90221 In reference to Message Id: 1787133 WHATS THE BEST TEMP TO KEEP EGGS AT
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| 07/08/08 02:47pm |
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L.ROY View Profile |
Message To: Hatchet_man_90221 In reference to Message Id: 1787157 WHATS THE BEST TEMP TO KEEP EGGS AT
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| 07/08/08 03:05pm |
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Lampro View Profile |
Message To: L.ROY In reference to Message Id: 1787185 WHATS THE BEST TEMP TO KEEP EGGS AT
Quote: But if you keep it at about 85 most in your clutch will be male.
I’ve never heard this as being validated for snakes. It may work on lizards and crocs, but not snakes. I have a study that tested incubation ranges. It showed that with higher incubation temps (82+) the hatchlings were less hardy and not as robust as snakes incubated at 77-80. ;) Under 74, I beleive it was all failed. |
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| 07/08/08 03:16pm |
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L.ROY View Profile |
Message To: Lampro In reference to Message Id: 1787202 WHATS THE BEST TEMP TO KEEP EGGS AT
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| 07/08/08 03:59pm |
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L.ROY View Profile |
Message To: L.ROY In reference to Message Id: 1787284 WHATS THE BEST TEMP TO KEEP EGGS AT
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| 07/08/08 04:02pm |
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Hatchet_man_90221 View Profile |
Message To: L.ROY In reference to Message Id: 1787292 WHATS THE BEST TEMP TO KEEP EGGS AT
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| 07/08/08 04:31pm |
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Peter54 View Profile |
Message To: Lampro In reference to Message Id: 1787202 WHATS THE BEST TEMP TO KEEP EGGS AT
I also moved my incubator to my garage where it’s colder since I had such bad experience with high temps during the summer of 2006. We had around 95F for several weeks in a row and I failed to keep the temps down in my incubator. I got 15 hatchlings total from 53 eggs. My garage is very cool during hot summer weather, about 59F. Well by moving my incubator to a colder place I got a new problem. Obviously the bottom of the incubator must be better isolated if it is placed in such a cold area as in my garage. I did not realize that at first, but when the top eggs hatched out almost a week before the ones under them, I understood the significance of the problem. One of my kingsnake clutches started hatching on day 88 and today it’s day 90 and the third hatchling is just coming out. The bottom eggs seem to have a few more days to go. I have put the incubator on a thick styrolite board placed tight to the outside bottom part so no chilling effect can take place there. My guess is that although air temp inside the incubator has been 80F, the Vermiculite closest to the bottom of the incubator has been about 75-77F making the eggs take 3 months or more to hatch. To my experience temp levels really have an impact on gender and also color even with snakes. Now my eggs have been in rather low temps and so far all 12 of my new hatchlings except for 1 have been females. More heat tend to produce more melanine too. |
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| 07/08/08 04:54pm |
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Hatchet_man_90221 View Profile |
Message To: Peter54 In reference to Message Id: 1787388 WHATS THE BEST TEMP TO KEEP EGGS AT
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| 07/08/08 06:15pm |
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MilkY_king View Profile |
Message To: Hatchet_man_90221 In reference to Message Id: 1787479 WHATS THE BEST TEMP TO KEEP EGGS AT
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| 07/08/08 06:19pm |
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Greatballzofire View Profile |
Message To: MilkY_king In reference to Message Id: 1787487 WHATS THE BEST TEMP TO KEEP EGGS AT
Quote: I know for a fact it works on lizards, but I guess it doesn’t on snakes. Sorry, but I do know that it does for lizards.
You wouldn’t by any chance know the correct temperature for Western fence lizards, would you? There just seems to be a dirth of information on this topic. I am interested in getting more females as well, so have been striving for a consistent 82 fahrenheit, but really am not certain this is right. |
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| 07/08/08 08:00pm |
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Hatchet_man_90221 View Profile |
Message To: Greatballzofire In reference to Message Id: 1787631 WHATS THE BEST TEMP TO KEEP EGGS AT
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| 07/08/08 11:14pm |
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Greatballzofire View Profile |
Message To: Hatchet_man_90221 In reference to Message Id: 1787885 WHATS THE BEST TEMP TO KEEP EGGS AT
Quote: What would be the best thing to use as bedding for the eggs
Vermiculite is good, but be sure to get the kind with large pieces, not real fine stuff. Perlite is good, too. Put just enough water so the medium sticks to your hand when you squeeze it. You don’t want it to be too soggy, just damp. Whatever you use should be sterile so as to avoid mold. From LLLReptile: Incubation Medium There are a variety of products that have proven successful as incubator mediums, that is, the substance that the eggs rest directly in as they develop. When choosing a medium, there are a handful of factors that must be considered. You need something that will retain water and maintain humidity within the egg container, something sterile (or close to it) and something that will not promote excessive growth of molds or fungi. Most breeders and hobbyists turn to either perlite or vermiculite as their medium of choice. Both have proven highly successful, and render high hatch rates. Both of these substances are examples of naturally occurring siliceous rock. When heated to a proper temperature, they expand to many times their original volume, producing a very light, absorbent material that naturally resists molding. There are arguments on both sides regarding which product is better. Some say perlite provides better airflow, others insist vermiculite has better mold-resistant qualities. Still others mix the two to get the best of both worlds. My honest opinion is that if all other conditions are proper, either one will serve perfectly. Sand, soil, and pulverized coconut husk are a few other mediums that have been experimented with. However, these mediums provide much more egg to medium contact and less airflow, possibly resulting in rotting or drowned eggs. Regardless of what you choose, it should remain moist throughout the incubation period. Different sources will give varying ratios of medium to water that will produce the “perfect blend.” Luckiliy, there is a rule of thumb that can be followed and provide you with an acceptable medium without the use of mathematics or weights. Just add water to your dry medium until it barely clumps, but does not drip when squeezed. You will want to maintain this consistency until the incubation period is complete. |
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| 07/08/08 11:27pm |
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Hatchet_man_90221 View Profile |
Message To: Greatballzofire In reference to Message Id: 1787902 WHATS THE BEST TEMP TO KEEP EGGS AT
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| 07/09/08 12:09am |
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Hatchet_man_90221 View Profile |
Message To: Hatchet_man_90221 In reference to Message Id: 1787943 WHATS THE BEST TEMP TO KEEP EGGS AT
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| 07/09/08 12:29am |
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MilkY_king View Profile |
Message To: Greatballzofire In reference to Message Id: 1787631 WHATS THE BEST TEMP TO KEEP EGGS AT
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| 07/09/08 09:29am |
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Hatchet_man_90221 View Profile |
Message To: MilkY_king In reference to Message Id: 1788190 WHATS THE BEST TEMP TO KEEP EGGS AT
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| 07/09/08 01:34pm |
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Greatballzofire View Profile |
Message To: Hatchet_man_90221 In reference to Message Id: 1787943 WHATS THE BEST TEMP TO KEEP EGGS AT
Quote: Where can i get vermiculite at
You can get vermiculite at almost any garden supply store, like Lowe’s or Walmart or True Value Hardware. It is used for potting plants and is very common. Same for perlite. Neither are very expensive. |
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| 07/09/08 04:28pm |
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Hatchet_man_90221 View Profile |
Message To: Greatballzofire In reference to Message Id: 1788692 WHATS THE BEST TEMP TO KEEP EGGS AT
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| 07/09/08 04:35pm |
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Hatchet_man_90221 View Profile |
Message To: Hatchet_man_90221 In reference to Message Id: 1788703 WHATS THE BEST TEMP TO KEEP EGGS AT
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| 07/09/08 04:38pm |
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MilkY_king View Profile |
Message To: Hatchet_man_90221 In reference to Message Id: 1788489 WHATS THE BEST TEMP TO KEEP EGGS AT
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| 07/09/08 04:40pm |
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Greatballzofire View Profile |
Message To: Hatchet_man_90221 In reference to Message Id: 1788703 WHATS THE BEST TEMP TO KEEP EGGS AT
Placing the eggs in the new incubating container: Make a little depression in the moist medium with your thumb and put each egg exactly in the same position it has been in all along. The reason for this is that after about 24 hours after being laid, the egg makes a little air pocket above the embryo, and it is thought that disturbing the orientation of the egg messes up this air pocket and kills the embryo. Some people mark the eggs before moving them to keep track of their orientation. Put the eggs about two thirds of the way into the medium. This is so you can see them and monitor their progress, and remove any duds so as to keep the rest of the clutch healthy. Put a lid on the container but have a small air hole. What I’ve done with my lizard eggs is put the probes to my thermostat and indoor-outdoor thermometer in the container at the same level as the eggs. If the container dews up you can open it a little, but not too much. Reptile eggs absorb moisture from the outside as they develop, unlike bird eggs. |
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| 07/09/08 07:30pm |
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Hatchet_man_90221 View Profile |
Message To: Greatballzofire In reference to Message Id: 1788896 WHATS THE BEST TEMP TO KEEP EGGS AT
thanks JOHN |
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| 07/09/08 08:04pm |
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Snakebuz View Profile |
Message To: Hatchet_man_90221 In reference to Message Id: 1788957 WHATS THE BEST TEMP TO KEEP EGGS AT
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| 07/15/08 04:44pm |
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