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Myvekk

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I have had my 2 Stimsons for about 5 years now since they were hatchlings. Noticed the one I was told was probably female basking upside down a few days ago, and last night saw her curled up when I went to give them a feed.

Then did a double take when I saw what she was curled around.
IMG_20151024_212803.jpg


I counted 12 or 13 while she 'killed' her hopper.

Now, I just have to figure out how to hatch them, (or get her to do so), and get some enclosures for them!
 
Awesome, good luck with it mate and keeps us updated on how it turns out.
 
[MENTION=34937]Myvekk[/MENTION], congrats m8 that was a nice surprise for you, at this stage unless you are going to intentionally breed them again in the future i would just let the Mum hatch them naturally, they have been doing it for millions of years and even captive breeding can't eliminate the natural instincts of the mother, that way it just gives you the next 50-60 days to get a hatchy rack together or borrow 1 from a friend. You don't mention where you are from so we can't tell you whether you will need any extra heating/heat source. If you decide you want to incubate them yourself i will include instructions on making a cheap incubator put on this site by a member named Crazy_Snake08 a few years ago. :) ....................Ron



 

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I'm in the Blue Mountains, at around 300m, just in the temperate 'frost free' band. :) Above the extremes of the Western Sydney Basin, but not into the extremes of the Mountains. Temps are typically pretty close to Sydney.

Then there is the issue of what to do with them afterwards. My kids, of course, want to keep them all, but I don't have the space for that, and the parents are nicely patterned, so good genes should be spread around! :p

Oh yes. She has laid them on the sand over the heater pad under the rocks at the warm end of the enclosure.
 
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I would see the challenge, of that position, to be maintaining humidity and would consider turning off the heatmat and relying upon the CHE. An interesting learning experience!
 
The enclosure is currently around 32C. What sort of humidity should it be, given that they come from a central Queensland arid area?

I just put the el cheapo clock/thermometer/barometer/hygrometer in there to check.

- - - Updated - - -

I've been looking for information, but everything I have found, just says "high humidity". *** do they mean by this? 50%, 70%, 90%?

What should I be aiming for?
 
So, they knocked over the gauge I was using to check the humidity. Since both were under the rocks, I reached in to move it so I could see it again...

Has anyone ever noticed the protective behaviour of a male when the female is curled around her eggs? He has been particularly aggressive towards me lately. Before I had my hand on the gauge, he had struck from under the rock & got a good hold on my sleeve. Now he seems intent on killing my arm and doesn't want to let me work...


IMG_20151029_100941.jpg
 
Well at least he has your sleeve and not your hand. :)


I imagine (never having any experience in breeding pythons) he would be protective, unless he's just hungry.


I found a good article on maternal incubation (it reads in Farenheit, so you'd need to change that to C)

[h=4]Maternal Incubation[/h] Should the eggs be incubated artificially or maternally? Most keepers incubate eggs in an incubator, but only, I think, because they are unfamiliar with the female snake's capability for incubation.
If the eggs are to be left with the female, the temperature in the cage should be maintained in the low to mid-80s, with around 80-percent relative humidity.


Those unfamiliar with maternal incubation are often reluctant to completely turn over the responsibility for the eggs to the female. There is a temptation to turn the entire cage into a big incubator by raising the temperature and humidity above the proper levels in order to "cover their bets."


The female, however, only has the ability to raise the temperature of the eggs. She can't lower it. If the ambient temperature is already set at 90 degrees, then she no longer has any control over temperature. The female can either conserve or release the moisture generated by egg incubation. Likewise, if the ambient humidity is already at 100 percent, then the female python has no influence over that either.


If a female snake is to incubate her own eggs, give her an environment in which she has some control. Remember that female pythons are perfectly suited to incubate their own eggs!


For species that do not generate their own heat during incubation (e.g., spotteds, balls and carpets) I provide basking areas. In most cases the heat source for the enclosure will be warmer than the average cage temperature, and this can serve as a place for the female to warm herself.


As ambient temperatures approach ideal incubation temperatures, females leave their eggs less often to bask and in some cases won't leave them at all. Females can be very shy when basking and often return immediately to their eggs if they sense any activity near their enclosures.
In the last few days of incubation females loosen their coils and expose the eggs. As this happens, the temperature of the eggs drops to almost the ambient temperature. It's important to monitor the humidity in the cage during this time.


The female remains loosely coiled around her clutch as the baby snakes begin to poke their heads through the slits they've cut in their eggs. In the wild, the newly hatched snakes would disperse quickly from the nest. In a captive situation this is not possible, of course. I have lost some babies at this point, as they can be accidentally crushed by the female. It's a good idea to remove the hatchling snakes as they appear, if possible.


Remember, wild snakes do not incubate their eggs in a controlled environment. It's warmer during the day than it is at night. Sunny days are warmer than cloudy ones. Sometimes it rains, sometimes it rains at night. The extra bedroom where you keep your snakes is stable by comparison. Monitor the temperature and the humidity, try not to interfere too much, and your female will be successful.
 
The enclosure is currently around 32C. What sort of humidity should it be, given that they come from a central Queensland arid area?

I just put the el cheapo clock/thermometer/barometer/hygrometer in there to check.

- - - Updated - - -

I've been looking for information, but everything I have found, just says "high humidity". *** do they mean by this? 50%, 70%, 90%?

What should I be aiming for?
ideally 80% plus
 
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