Maternal Incubation- the finer points

[Ozzie Python]

Hi guys & gals,

Here we again, another thread on maternal incubation. Now i know all the basics, and don't need a comparison on maternal vs artificial incubation as i am giving it a crack this year regardless.

To cover the basics:
I am trying it with a childreni- lots of condition on her (rested last year) so she'll be good to last to distance and will be rested again next year.

Enclosure is 900x600x600. She is getting a foam box to lay in which will take up 3/4 of the enclsore length, and about half the width so hopefully she finds the right spot to lay in.

Water bowl under the heat lamp to bump up humidity and she will have access to heat under the lamp, or under the basking shelf where heat comes up from the light in the cage below. I am hoping this is enough to keep humidity up fairly high, with maybe the occasional mist of water down the sides of the foam box if need be.

Cage temps will be adjusted to keep the nest site sitting around 30.5 to keep her work rate down a little.

What i am really after is the finer points from those that have tried it.

In particular i have questions about the substrate in the laying box that mum and the eggs will be spending all their time.

I am guessing sphagmum moss is the obvious choice of subtrate.

The thing i really have an issue with and can't get my head around- is the sphag moss going to be too moist? too wet for the eggs? possibly give the mum a case of scale rot from being on moist substrate for so long?
I won't put the water bowl under the light until she is on the eggs, so hopefully the time frame is enough that the substrate will dry out a little, and the over all humidity of the enclosure and box will prevent the eggs suffering from dehydration.

Any thoughts? advice?

i thought maybe a bit of vermiculite on top of the sphag moss? almost certainly will be a waste of time once the mum moves everything around.

I saw in some photos Stew (RDU) had leaf litter in with his female last year (anyone that knows him can they ask his opinion? i know he doesn't get on here often).

Cheers
Stu.​

 

[deebo]

Good luck with it mate....is something I want to try one day myself so hopefully you get it right and then I can just copy your setup! =)

 

[congo_python]

Spagnum moss will dry out enough before she even lays her eggs, as u'll have to put lay box in at least a week before lay to be sure.During that time it will dry out,my first year breeding i maternally incubated and no added moisture other than water bowl within cage and 100 % success rate in both clutches.
Good thing to do after she lays is take her off the eggs and remove any slugs/bad eggs to maximise chances of a good healthy clutch and put her back in.

 

[zulu]

re Maternal

Hi Ozz,i used maternal incubation on quite a few occasions many years back both inside the house and outside in a shed.I t was with female diamond pythons.
The laying box was wooden of the type you buy for breeding budgies and similar,both elevated and on the floor,always had a large water container in the enclosure and occasionaly sprayed the glass sides.
With the diamonds i didnt heat the cages but they got the morning sun,they shiver at times to keep the heat up (thermogenesis) but during cold weather stopped and the eggs remain suspended till the weather heated up or i moved them indoors under artificial heat to hatch etc.
In the nest box i sqeezed the water out of hand full of paper tissues until they were almost dry and then i put several layers of dry newspaper on top. One clutch that was inside an old 4 ft fish tank in a shed onley had a bare wooden box and that was still alright,dryness around the eggs is OK as long as the humidity is reasonably high. Cheers

 

[reptileKev81]

Spagnum moss will dry out enough before she even lays her eggs, as u'll have to put lay box in at least a week before lay to be sure.During that time it will dry out,my first year breeding i maternally incubated and no added moisture other than water bowl within cage and 100 % success rate in both clutches.
Good thing to do after she lays is take her off the eggs and remove any slugs/bad eggs to maximise chances of a good healthy clutch and put her back in.

Just wondering, if you take the mother off the eggs, what are the chances she will not maternally incubate them. Just something I read in a book, any tips to increase success?

 

[congo_python]

Had no problems they both just went straight back in and wrapped around them.My females that i now take off eggs to incubate them every year go straight back in and search for a day or two for their eggs.My roughy did not eat and sat exactly where eggs were laid until the day they hatched (in the incubator).....even after cleaning out the whole cage she then resumed eating again there after, it was amazing ???

 

[Ozzie Python]

Cheers congo and zulu. i figured the sphag moss should dry enough to make sure the eggs wouldnt be too wet, usually dries up on me after a few days. thats the reassurance i was after.The girl im using always gives a good clutch and never had a slug from her so hopefully i got it sorted and i can sit back and enjoy watching her do her thing. definitely something i have always wanted to try/witness.Dave ill tell you the tricks if it works, but it will cost you a few beers

 

[Jungletrans]

I have let my Darwin hatch her eggs 3 times now with great success . One thing I do differently is to offer her a snack each week , just a single hopper rat , and she always ate them . Good luck , nature does actually know what it is doing .