Decreasing the hot spot by too much can result in longer incubation times, or if the temperatures get too cool, can even kill the entire clutch. If you change the conditions in the cage, she cannot move the eggs, nor do much to increase her own temperature, and this can ultimately impact the temperature the eggs are incubated at. The female will select the spot that she will be able to maintain the correct 88 - 90 degree range of temperatures based on the conditions in the cage. When your female begins to coil just off to the side of the heat, DON'T DECREASE THE HOT SPOT! Most of the time the required high temperature is about 95 to 100 degrees this needs to stay the same. Too much moisture will kill the eggs much faster than not enough, so err on the side of dryness!
It is easier to add a little more water, bit by bit, to the moss surrounding the female (and thus increase humidity that way) than it is to try and remove moisture if you have put too much in. Be sure not to over-saturate the substrate or moss in the cage either, as this will also cause issues with the eggs. This way the eggs will be a consistent temperature, as often when they are laid directly on the heat source the bottom eggs can become over heated and go bad. Watch your snake and tweak the cage conditions as needed - if she is laying directly on the heat, increase it by a few degrees until she is coiling just off to the side of the heat. If they are in a display cage, this can be an enclosed box slightly larger than the female with damp moss packed into it, or in a tub setup you can simply place damp moss throughout the warm side of the tub. It is important that the female is in good condition throughout the entire process.Īfter your girl(s) have gone through the post-ovulation shed, begin readying their egg laying area. The only additional thing to consider is that if your female loses too much weight during the breeding season prior to ovulating, do not allow her to maternally incubate. For more information on this part, please refer to the numerous online caresheets, forums, and books currently available on the subject. Once you've selected the females that will be maternally incubating, proceed through the breeding process like usual. You want your girls as chunky as possible going into the breeding season, because again, they may or may not eat once they start incubating their eggs, and you don't want the incubation process to drain them too severely. Prep your girls by simply feeding them well and getting them into the best condition possible, with nice complete sheds and solid, good weight to them. I generally only allow my females that are over 4 years old, and over 1800 grams (preferably in the 2,000 gram range) to maternally incubate their eggs.
I would not recommend allowing small or young females to maternally incubate, as they may not feed during this time and the extended period of non-feeding may be too much for them. If you liked this article, then LIKE this article here!Īre you a beginner to ball python breeding? Have you had trouble with successful hatch rates incubating your eggs artificially? Are you curious about maternal incubation, and what's involved to allow your female to successfully incubate her own eggs? Then read on, and hopefully this article will help you on the path to successfully allowing your female to incubate her own eggs!īefore letting your ball python (or any snake species, for that matter) incubate her own eggs, you should prepare for this long before breeding even takes place. Stickers, Calendars, Posters, and other Gift Ideas Shipping Materials, Boxes, Heat & Cool Packs, Etc Tarantula, Scorpion & Other Invert Suppliesĭeli Containers, Shipping Boxes, Packing Materialĭeli Containers (unpunched), Hole Punchers, Etc Hermit Crab, Betta, Lobster & Aquatic Supplies Reptile Medications, Mite Sprays & CleanersĪquatic Turtle Aquarium and Pond AccessoriesĪquatic Turtle Filters, Pumps and Powerheads Lizard, Monitor & Gecko Dry and Canned Foods Terrarium Plants, Vines & Terrarium Accents Heat Pads, Heat Panels, Heat Cable & Rocksīowls, Drippers, Misters, and Humidifiers Mercury Vapor UVB Bulbs & Metal Halide UVB Bulbs UVB Fluorescent Lights, Mercury Vapor BulbsĬompact Fluorescent UVB Bulbs & LED Bulbs Heat Bulbs, Night Heat Bulbs, Ceramic Bulbs Scorpions, Centipedes, Millipedes & Other Bugs Pinesnakes, Bullsnakes, Rear Fanged & Other Snakes