It depends how you describe weakness.
Cutting eggs - when?
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It depends how you describe weakness.
JasonL
Almost Legendary
Dead in the egg is usually pretty weak lol....
But I get what you mean, captive snakes can be seemingly fine to a breeder / keeper but far less "strong" than a typical wild counterpart. Most animals that are mass bred by humans will end up different in some form or another than their wild forms, and quite quickly too, yet still make acceptable healthy "pets".
But I get what you mean, captive snakes can be seemingly fine to a breeder / keeper but far less "strong" than a typical wild counterpart. Most animals that are mass bred by humans will end up different in some form or another than their wild forms, and quite quickly too, yet still make acceptable healthy "pets".
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E
Elite_Reptiles
Guest
Really interesting thread Waterrat. I was only thinking these same questions last week... 'Do I' or 'Don't I'?...
Last season I had a clutch of het darwins, the first one pipped on its own, and on the exact date they were due to hatch (the dates I used came straight from the holy bible of snakes itself... "Keeping and Breeding Australian Snakes"). The next day came and no further signs of pipping, so I assisted by carefully cutting small v's into each egg. Over the next two days they emerged one by one (11 in total). Some seemed very lethargic, some were full of energy and wanted to smash anything within striking distance. So what to determine with this outcome? Well I'm not sure and it seems everyone has a different but logical story to tell.
This year, only a week ago, I had a clutch of 12 eggs (Albino Darwin x Jungle RPM). From the Keeping and Breeding Australian Snakes, I chose to take the 58 day option again for Darwins (Carpet Python - N/W) being the approximate hatch date. Day 61 come along and still no signs of hatching? Every night I would do a quick candle and saw plenty of movement within each egg. Now sure I was curious to see what was inside, but curiosity was soon over-taken by worry. As everyone has pointed out on here, are they ok, are they having trouble trying to escape, have they lost their egg tooth? IMO, there is nothing worse then thinking you could be harming or potentially killing an animal, doesn't have to be a snake either, but that is just me... nothing to do with being selfish or curious!...
Day 63 come along and I looked back into the holy bible and started thinking what if it's actually 63 days (Jungle RPM)? Still no sign of pipping the next day, and the worry was too much, so I pipped one egg just to make sure he looked alright (which he was). This particular egg I cut did not come out, not even a nose appearance and it was now 2 days later... day 65. Again the worry was too much, so I cut the remaining eggs. All looked ok and were doing well, except there was not much movement for the next 3 to 4 days before they started slowly emerging on their own. This took another 1 to 5 days for all hatchies to come completely out of their eggs on their own. Now I can honestly say again that at least half were bursting with energy, throwing left and right hooks. The other half were very lethargic and could hardly lift there little heads. So again, how do you determine this above scenario to what others on here have already written and experienced?
P.S. The temps I had for both scenarios above ranged from 28 to 33 degrees, mostly around the 32 degree mark as they are in a garage and it's very hard to maintain correct temps in a garage and living on the Gold Coast does not help either.
All 12 hatchies are doing really well now too.
IMO, we are medalling with nature as it is. If you watch this video of Tony Harrison doing a carpet relocation, you'll see what environment this coastal carpet has had her eggs living in for the past 50 days or more. You will soon realise that perhaps we worry too much, but then again if Tony did not intervene, how many would have actually survived if any at all? It's especially interesting and covers more on this particular subject at the 3:15 minute mark...
[video=youtube;A3RHtWUfNGY]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3RHtWUfNGY&context=C3c09d74ADOEgsToPDskJ8 9ELl86g_B77KzJxYhH-p[/video]
Last season I had a clutch of het darwins, the first one pipped on its own, and on the exact date they were due to hatch (the dates I used came straight from the holy bible of snakes itself... "Keeping and Breeding Australian Snakes"). The next day came and no further signs of pipping, so I assisted by carefully cutting small v's into each egg. Over the next two days they emerged one by one (11 in total). Some seemed very lethargic, some were full of energy and wanted to smash anything within striking distance. So what to determine with this outcome? Well I'm not sure and it seems everyone has a different but logical story to tell.
This year, only a week ago, I had a clutch of 12 eggs (Albino Darwin x Jungle RPM). From the Keeping and Breeding Australian Snakes, I chose to take the 58 day option again for Darwins (Carpet Python - N/W) being the approximate hatch date. Day 61 come along and still no signs of hatching? Every night I would do a quick candle and saw plenty of movement within each egg. Now sure I was curious to see what was inside, but curiosity was soon over-taken by worry. As everyone has pointed out on here, are they ok, are they having trouble trying to escape, have they lost their egg tooth? IMO, there is nothing worse then thinking you could be harming or potentially killing an animal, doesn't have to be a snake either, but that is just me... nothing to do with being selfish or curious!...
Day 63 come along and I looked back into the holy bible and started thinking what if it's actually 63 days (Jungle RPM)? Still no sign of pipping the next day, and the worry was too much, so I pipped one egg just to make sure he looked alright (which he was). This particular egg I cut did not come out, not even a nose appearance and it was now 2 days later... day 65. Again the worry was too much, so I cut the remaining eggs. All looked ok and were doing well, except there was not much movement for the next 3 to 4 days before they started slowly emerging on their own. This took another 1 to 5 days for all hatchies to come completely out of their eggs on their own. Now I can honestly say again that at least half were bursting with energy, throwing left and right hooks. The other half were very lethargic and could hardly lift there little heads. So again, how do you determine this above scenario to what others on here have already written and experienced?
P.S. The temps I had for both scenarios above ranged from 28 to 33 degrees, mostly around the 32 degree mark as they are in a garage and it's very hard to maintain correct temps in a garage and living on the Gold Coast does not help either.
All 12 hatchies are doing really well now too.
IMO, we are medalling with nature as it is. If you watch this video of Tony Harrison doing a carpet relocation, you'll see what environment this coastal carpet has had her eggs living in for the past 50 days or more. You will soon realise that perhaps we worry too much, but then again if Tony did not intervene, how many would have actually survived if any at all? It's especially interesting and covers more on this particular subject at the 3:15 minute mark...
[video=youtube;A3RHtWUfNGY]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3RHtWUfNGY&context=C3c09d74ADOEgsToPDskJ8 9ELl86g_B77KzJxYhH-p[/video]
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Dmnted
Well-Known Member
Awesome read guys!
I have my first clutch of jungles incubating and it's good to get some experienced opinions on "do I, don't I cut" when the time comes.
I have my first clutch of jungles incubating and it's good to get some experienced opinions on "do I, don't I cut" when the time comes.
JasonL
Almost Legendary
If your going to pip eggs, candle them with one hand and lightly draw cutting lines in the shape of a V in between the veins with the other, then gently shallow cut the egg with a fine and sharp pair of scissors.
dylan-rocks
Well-Known Member
so do u/can u pipe lizard eggs???
Hey jungleman, when candling after piping did u notice a reduction in veins n vein size? In there final days they will suck up the blood. By piping to early u risk the chance of infection in the fluid! So they won't soak this up, n won't have the energy to get out. After loosing 9womas this year I won't b piping untill 48hrs after the 1st hatchling emerges
dylan-rocks
Well-Known Member
ohk kooll..... so why arint you meant to pipe them?? sorry just curious on the topic
Because I am not a lizard breeder. Many lizards, e.g. geckos have hard-shelled eggs, how would you pip them?
waruikazi
Legendary
There is a very very good chance that the neonates died from something other than being pipped.
Dmnted
Well-Known Member
Thanks for the advise Jason.
I am leaning towards piping one egg in particular which is on the top of the clutch.
It is quite hard compared to the rest and I think the hatchie would need a rhinoceros horn rather than an egg tooth to get out !
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