opinions please :)

[kab_65]

Hi all,
Hope you've had a great weekend.

Now i don't want this thread to become the cause of any arguments about how one way is better than the other as this is a forum not a debate, but being quite new to herps and now completley addicted and contemplating breeding i'd like to know peoples opinions on incubation.
Does everyone use an incubator or do some let nature take it's course and allow the snake to do the work and why? success rate etc.
Opinions will obviously differ given the fact that some people have business interests and others not so.
Am just interested in hearing from peoples experiences and please folks i know we ALL have different opinions on issues but that doesn't give us the right to negate others for theirs. Please be nice and peace to the world of APS LOL
Cheers

[notechistiger]

An incubator is usually the way to go, because in the wild snakes will create their own incubator and dictate the appropriate conditions. In captivity, snakes can't do this because they are in enclosures without the specifics they need. Unless you do an extreme amount of research to see exactly what the snake needs to incubate naturally, then I'd suggest doing it artificially.

~ notechistiger.

[richardsc]

another plus of incubation is the female can get back to eating and putting condition back on

[jonesc1]

Maternal incubation is more than possible in captivity, there are far more variables in the wild than in captivity. The only reason a lot of people don't let their snakes maternally incubate is because its very taxing on the female. People prefer to get condition back on their animals and keep them healthy rather than letting them lose condition while incubating.

[notechistiger]

How/what would you do/supply to create a good environment for maternal incubation, jonesc1?

[jonesc1]

You dont need to, the mother does it herself, thats the whole point. If the eggs are too cold, the mother will "shiver" to create heat and boost the temp, if the humidity is too low she'll go to her water bowl, drench herself then come back and put it on the eggs. The female snake will change the variables to keep the eggs under the optimal incubation conditions.

[jonesc1]

In saying that, personally, I prefer to artificially incubate just for the sake of not having to put my females through any extra stress, just saying that maternal incubation is certainly possible in captivity, and is a really interesting natural behaviour to watch.

[notechistiger]

Hm. I was always told to use an incubator because the environment is not suitable, even with the female doing as you said above. That is why a posted my original post. I haven't bred my female yet (she's possibly gravid now, hopefully), so I wouldn't know from experience.

There you go.

[boa]

I doubt you have a gravid female at the moment, you may have seen some mating but a bit early for being gravid.
Maternal incubation is fine and as has been said is actually more 'reliable' under captive conditions as the heat is more uniform and involves less work for the female to keep the temperature optimum.
Using an incubator is 'better' for the female as she can regain her condition more quickly but you can counter that with the chances of electrical failure.
It is swings and roundabouts, both have pros and cons.

[wokka]

I would have thought that a female incubating in a cage of say 29c would have to do a great deal to keep the eggs right and that a couple of months off feed is neither here nore there. I have convinced myself. I think I'll gove natural incubation a go this year. I am sure the females can improve on my disatsers last year.Why inerfer with what comes naturally?

[boa]

Warwick, do you mean the female WOULDN'T have to do a great deal ?
Overseas more and more breeders seem to use maternal incubation.

[wokka]

Yes I mean the female would not have to do a great deal. In captivity we supply a relatively constant environment which isn't much different to whats in an incubator so all the female has to do is a bit of fine tuning. The feed arguement; well most ofd us feed our snakes too much anyhow.

[kab_65]

Thanks guys
am a way off breeding yet but it's good to read varying opinions on both ways o acheiving incubation.


QUOTE]and that a couple of months off feed is neither here nore there.[/quote]

i'm sure i remember seeing a pic of someones female taking a feed whilst still wrapped around her eggs. I wonder in the wild if something wanders past they just go "no can't eat that amtoo busy incubating" lol
I guess i will just keep researching on the subject and when it comes time make an informed decision then
Thank heaps to those who posted, it's nice to havedifferring opinions as a newbie

[kakariki]

Can I add a question please? I, too, was curious about the whole incubator VS natural thing, so cheers kab 65. But, when the babies hatch from maternal, what does mum do? Does she just leave or what? And how long till you have to remove the babies so they don't get eaten?? We are also a way off atm but it pays to research.

[kab_65]

QUOTE][when the babies hatch from maternal, what does mum do?/QUOTE]

Yeah good point, i guess there are a lot of questions that would need answering similar to this one. I think first port of call will be searching the net but if anyone else has info or ideas as to where to get it from that would be great
If i find anything of interest i will post it here