HELP! My snake just laid eggs...what do I do now??

[snakegal]

I have just found 2 eggs in my darwin carpets enclosure, she is in with the male...I have not expected this as she isn't fully grown. What can I do at this hour to keep the eggs in best condition? They are on the warm end...do they need moisture or to dry out? I have some sawdust...

Please help me! Freaking out here...

 

[Em1986]

When there is 2 there is likely to be more on the way!
I am not too sure about using saw dust but if you have sand or vermiculite or perlite they will be the best things to use for the eggs.
Have you touched the eggs at all? When moving them into a container be very gentle and careful to pick them up and place them onto a substrate in the same position they were found in (as in don't roll them over etc) otherwise it may kill the eggs if they are fertile.
It is also advised to move the male out of the enclosure at least until she has laid them all.
I am not too sure where you could put the eggs overnight in the container, maybe on top of your enclosure down the warm end if heat is on 24/7.

 

[Renenet]

I'm looking at my copy of Keeping and Breeding Australian Pythons. The average clutch size experienced by the writer of the Darwin section was 23. It might be smaller for a first-time mum, but probably best to observe for now. How long do you think the eggs have been there, Snakegal?

I wonder if it would be okay to let the female incubate them until Snakegal figures out what to do? That would buy some time.

 

[ramzee86]

I've never bred, nut I'd say let the female maternally incubate them until you've found a better solution, and also move ethe male out of the tank for the time being

 

[andyscott]

I've never bred, nut I'd say let the female maternally incubate them until you've found a better solution, and also move ethe male out of the tank for the time being

That is would be the smartest thing you could do atm.
If your not set up with and incubator, perlite, vermiculite, or a tub for the substreight.
Get the male out, leave mum with them and cross your fingers.

 

[Nighthawk]

^^ That's what I'd do.

 

[GeckoJosh]

Wont they dry out if she doesnt raise the humidity?

 

[Nighthawk]

Wont they dry out if she doesnt raise the humidity?

I remember hearing, and correct me if I'm wrong, that with self-incubation the females sometimes pee to raise humidity. Please correct me if I'm wrong, because I'll be doing some research and letting my childreni girl have a go at maternal incubation the season after next. Don't some people also mist occasionally?

 

[Em1986]

But if she found them in the enclosure without the snake on them then isn't the female unlikely go back to them to hop back on top and incubate them?
If she only laid 2 eggs and was then disturbed for some reason and hopped off the eggs i doubt she will seek the eggs out and incubate them herself.
If the female was found in the laying position (coiled up) then the eggs wouldn't have been seen, would they? If she was found like that then i would say just leave her on top of them in the position she is in and she will more than likely lay the rest overnight and incubate them in the mean time.

 

[davebarrow]

check the male as well in case he ate a egg or 2 and take the male out, i have a mate and his Darwin ate 6 of the eggs and and he ended up with little number, also if the male is in there to long he might get stressed and move around the enclosure and roll the eggs about

 

[Renenet]

Any news, Snakegal?

 

[kawasakirider]

My 3 hatchies were maternally incubated, along with the rest of their clutchmates and plenty of other clutches that the breeder had.

 

[mysnakesau]

Incubating mums do leave their eggs when they need water. Then they go back to them. The short period, temperature change isn't detrimental to the eggs survival. And yes I too have read about the female peeing on her eggs to help with humidity.