Female Amel corn first clutch

[shenicles]

Hi there guys..
My female corn snake laid four eggs on the 7th of this month. It was really unexpected. Thing is, she is still really small and just under 2 years old.
I have not come across a corn that lays as little as four eggs.

The male is about 3 months older than her, quite bigger in size though.
I have candled all four eggs and embryo is clearly visible in all, with slight veins, and I have made sure not to roll the eggs etc.
This is my first time dealing with eggs and I really don't want to mess this up.

Unfortunately I do not have an incubator, so I am trying my best to simulate one.
I currently have them in a 2l tub resting on woodshavings/petlitter (I am really broke, guys)
That tub is inside my meter cage holding my male. I also had to get perfect placement within the cage so that the temp is a good 27degrees.
I did have them on sphagnum moss but due to the humidity it created SO MUCH mould. I managed to save the eggs though, thankfully.
Thing is, the eggs are losing alot of moisture. They are sinking into themselves. I have tried placing a damp paper towel on them for 2 days but only one managed to pop out again.
Is there anything else I can do to improve the condition of the eggs?



Also, how rare is it for such a small corn to lay viable eggs?
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
These are my babies.

Regards,
sheN

[shenicles]

Candled pics :

[Westley Price]

Hi Shenicles

Those eggs all look a bit past their expiry date to me. I doubt you will be able to save them.

Wood shavings absorb water so the wood shavings will have drawn the moisture out of the eggs, having the opposite effect than you intended.

I suggest you chuck these eggs and start making you plans again for next year, getting vermiculite sorted and a basic (aka cheap) incubator sorted.

I have used rather cheap incubators made from styrofoam boxes since forever and have had no problems.

Better luck next year!

[Ruan Stander]

Sorry about your eggs man.
Incubation medium would be the biggest problem here- like Westley said, wood shavings absorb moisture so it would be impossible to maintain a humid environment where they are concerned. I reckon if you had just kept them on a suitable medium they would have hatched just fine with no need for an incubator.

[shenicles]

Thanks alot guys.

Yeah I figured the substrate was the biggest issue. I have now placed them on semi-damp sphagnum moss.
Hoping for the best.

[Ruan Stander]

Would be awesome if they make it, although I think that's unlikely. Worth a try I always say.

[Chopper 1]

I have never used an incubator before - i use an ice-cream tub with vermiculite in. I do not have 100% hatch rate but if the eggs are kept in a cool dark place with sufficient moisture then they should hatch. If you think that snakes like green waters lay their eggs in compost heaps and usually have a 100% hatch rate then all you need to do is get as close to that temperature and moisture content to be successful. But hey if you have the money then rather buy an incubator!!

[Jamster]

Chopper, a compost heap is probably the warmest spot a snake could possibly lay it's eggs in a suburban environment. Compost heaps can actually get well over 30 to 40 degrees celsius, especially when grass clippings are involved, kind of clashes with the idea of keeping the eggs in a cool place. A great way to keep the eggs warm without drying them out is by, as mentioned, using vermiculite. without a thermostat you do not want to apply direct heat to the container. what I have found works well is placing an oven grid on top of a heating pad and then placing the Tupperware on top of that. The grid conducts the heat and distributes it evenly across the base of the container and enough heat is lost to ensure that the eggs don't cook. I prefer using a thicker layer of vermiculite as it acts as a buffer between the eggs and the heat. Basically you want ambient heat, not direct heat but at the same time you want to maintain a somewhat high humidity.

Those eggs could still hatch, I've seen worse that hatched.

[shenicles]

Thanks alot for the feedback, guys.
At the moment I have the tub raised above the heat source. Lets hope this brings back some moisture!
Also dampened the moss again.

I do not have the resources to acquire vermiculite at this time. So the moss will have to do for now.

Thanks again

[Jamster]

Vermiculite costs about R20 for a bag and is available at pretty much every home and garden centre or plant nursery

[shenicles]

Okay guys..
I now have the eggs on vermiculite.
Its been about 3 days now and one of the eggs got such bad mould it had to be tossed
Checked the other eggs for mould and they're fine.

Holding thumbs now for the remaining three.

[Ruan Stander]

Good move, keep us updated.

[shenicles]

Alright, well...
When I checked up on the eggs this morning, all three had white mould.
Also at closer inspection, I noticed tiny, almost maggot-like things ALL over the eggs where the contact with the vermiculite was.
Also, all 3 eggs went hard.

Looking forward to next year when I'm prepared for eggs.
Unfortunate that 4 possible babies had to be lost.


Thanks again guys.

[Ruan Stander]

That's a pity, next year will be better

[Chantel]

No need for fancy incubators and thermostats for corn snake eggs. All you need is a 2 litre ice cream container, half filled with MOIST vermiculite. Then you simply partially cover the eggs with the vermiculite, put the lid on (make sure it's air tight - no ventilation), and put it on a shelf. Normal air temp fluctuations are perfectly normal (no corn snake eggs are kept at a constant temperature in the wild). Doing it this way will prevent complications such as too high temps, and dehydration of the eggs. With the ice cream container being air tight, normal condensation will occur which will keep the vermiculite constantly moist. Then in about 70 days (more or less), the eggs will hatch.

Too many people worry about complicated incubation systems for corn snakes, and it really is not necessary. Keep it simple, and you'll have a much better hatch rate

Good luck!