Unplanned pregnancy

[jemvarova]

Hi,

I've just found some eggs in with my diamond (Dora). There are 7, but possibly more on the way. No idea what to do. I've looked at a couple of past posts, similar to what I am asking, however I think I need a bit more advice.


History:
Dora was housed with another diamond (Diego), I had no idea of their sex, obviously that isn't an issue for me anymore. Dora had lost interest in food and while she was normally a great feeder, has simply ignored food for the past couple of months.

A third python (Spot the Murray-Darling), housed separately, had developed a mite problem. I wasn't sure where it had come from, but thought that maybe the mites had moved to the diamond enclosure. So, all three were moved to a temporary storage container (1 in each), as I have been treating their normal enclosures for the mites.

The containers have a heat mat under one side (taking about half the container), and simply have some newspaper as substrate. Inside, the temps get to about 32-33 over the heat map.

It will probably be another week before I can move them back to their regular enclosures.


So... In the meantime, what is my best bet for caring for the eggs? I've read stuff about increasing humidity and using vermiculite. Am I able to add this to the enclosure without disturbing Dora? Will she stop incubatinge herself if I change things or handle her during this time?

Should I move her to the normal enclosure next week, or not?

Thanks,

Jem

- - - Updated - - -

Oh... I should mention that I have turned on the heat map 24/7 now too. Previously it was off at night

And one more question... When should I start offering food again?

 

[Pythons Rule]

you should be able to keep her in the tub, provide her with frequently fresh water top ups, steady heat on 30-31 deg and if your worried about humidity levels then just add some moist moss around her coil without disturbing her. get the keeping and breeding Australian pythons book in the mean time to do a lil bit more research on diamond python egg incubation times. and let her do the rest if it gets too dry in there she will pee on the eggs.

 

[Scaleyfoot]

Oh wow! Congrats!

 

[jemvarova]

Thanks... That sounds like fairly good advice. Humidity is the only thing I'm worried about really... Snakes have babies in the wild all the time, there's no reason she can't do it here.

I've turned down the temp slightly too... I figured it was better to have it slightly cooler, and let her warm the eggs, rather than it being too hot. I'll monitor the temp and try and get it spot on though

- - - Updated - - -

Thanks B_HERP.

 

[Pythons Rule]

doesn't have to be spot on I don't worry until it drops below 27deg or rises about 32deg in artificial incubator so with maternal you could heat 29-30 deg allowing her to heat if she needs if it gets too hot in there she'll loosen her coil and air them out.