Eggs pipping!! OMG! :-)

[colleen]

Hey guys! So I have had ball pythons for years now...But until this year, I have never bred any of them...I've just been slowly building my collection, focusing on different morphs, and then joined forces with my boyfriend. Now, long story short, my boyfriend and I are building our hobby into a business AND these pictures that follow are of my FIRST clutch ever!!!!!!!! OMG! lol. This is day 55 and baby # 1 of 4 has pipped! The parents were a normal (but a selectively bred very BRIGHT female) to a Graziani male pastel! I will post pics as soon as they are all out! Right now I am just praying everyone is healthy...And hoping for all pastels ofcourse. LOL.

Arielle (bright normal mom):

Gomez (pastel male):

Eggs: 5 total- 1 slug = 4 fertile eggs!

First baby pipping: 9/18/08 6pm

I'm so excited!! Thanks for looking!

 

[hybrid]

Wow, now that is awesome! Keep us posted! I want to see more of these guys!

 

[colleen]

thanks! Yes, as soon as more pip or they all hatch, I will def post pics!!! I can't wait to see all 4!

 

[chad ramsey]

so what made you choose to let her incubate them naturally verses in an incubator?

 

[lytlesnake]

Very exciting! That baby looks good already!

 

[dprince]

Oooh, I'm so excited for you!! And maternal incubation to boot - so awesome!!!!!!

 

[T&KBrouse]

OMG!! How wonderful!!!!!
The first clutch is the best!
I called people long distance to tell them the babies were hatching!

 

[colleen]

Thanks guys!!! Here is an update!


These were taken today, about 1 hour ago, and 2 from last night:
(We took mommy off the eggs and just fed her 3 RATS, as she deserved them after maternally incubating and fasting since APRIL... She is happy now!!

This was about an hour ago as well:
the first to completely emerge....

[/quote]

 

[colleen]

so what made you choose to let her incubate them naturally verses in an incubator?

Hey Chad,
Quite a few reasons: ball pythons are amazing mothers. I have a CB-70 Breeder rack hooked up to a rheostat. The rheostat kept the warm side of the rack at around 90-91 degrees and the cool side was between 87-88 degrees. The mother layed her eggs in the dead center of the rack, allowing herself to maintain the eggs at exactly 89 degrees the entire time. We had an accurite, with a probe in the center of her coils, monitoring both the temps and humidity which was at 88 percent and +. She would tighten/loosen her coils as needed to allow for the humidity on the eggs. It was such an awesome experience. We gave her a huge water bowl right next to her so that she could drink without even moving and it provided the majority of the humidity. Ball pythons hatch all the time in the wild, and in captivity- are excellent mothers who are very capable of maternally incubating their own eggs (as long as they are provided with the proper settings to do so).

 

[lytlesnake]

Those babies are awesome! Congrats. I must resist the urge to get into ball pythons. I've already got more animals than I should have.

 

[Nigel4less]

Nothing like seeing Mom do her Job , Also I have to say those are beautiful hatchlings.

 

[dprince]

My gosh, that is so awesome!! Again, a HUGE congrats!!!

 

[Nigel4less]

My gosh, that is so awesome!! Again, a HUGE congrats!!!

Nothing like being a Natural Incubator eh Debbie

 

[colleen]

Hey guys! Sorry to leave everyone hangin....
I have been soooo busy the last week. I just fed the 4 healthy babies their first meal tuesday! Here are some pics I that were taken last night. Sorry it took so long!

 

[T&KBrouse]

Oh... they're beautiful!!!!
Congratulations again on such sweet little babies!