ball python breeding n' stuff

[coitussnakes]

Whats everybodys take on letting ball pythons incubate ther eggs ther selfs? (i dont have the means for a incubator)

[SnakeGirl]

It can be done, but is typically quite difficult, especially in glass tanks.  If you have the female in a tub or something that holds humidity well, then you have a better shot at it.

You can buy hova bators for around $40 + shipping at herpsupplies.com or lllreptile.com, and they work OK if you're just trying to hatch one or two clutches.  You have to keep an eye on the humidity in them as well (I use them and typically have to add a little water to the medium about once/week), but I've had 100% hatch rates from them.

Best of luck!

[Bree]

Whats everybodys take on letting ball pythons incubate ther eggs ther selfs? (i dont have the means for a incubator)

Is this your first clutch?

[coitussnakes]

Yeah. im new at it im doing it realy for the expeiriance.

[abi21491]

Some people have successfully let their females incubate, but this is much more difficult than artificial incubation. The cage temps and humidity have to be pretty optimal. What kind of enclosure is your female in? An aquarium/tank would be extremely difficult to do this in. If you are using a tub it will be a little easier but still difficult. Here is a website I found with a section on maternal incubation:

http://www.just---balls.com/eggincubation.htm

I personally would not feel comfortable incubating this way, but I am a worry-wort. You can easily construct your own incubator, and as someone else has suggested the Hovabator is a cheap and simple choice for you. I would probably ditch the wafer thermostat that comes with it and use a better thermostat, but that is up to you. The Hovabator without the fan is what you would want - the fan model is known to dry things out too bad. Hope this helps.

[coitussnakes]

Shes in one of those exo terras

[abi21491]

Shes in one of those exo terras

How big is it? I was not aware that there is an Exo Terra big enough for an adult ball python. In that setup, I highly doubt you'd be successful trying to maternally incubate. You should definitely get some kind of incubator setup for eggs. Even a sterilite bin rigged up with flexwatt and a thermostat would be safer than the Exo. Not to sound harsh, but you should have the stuff you need BEFORE you start breeding. It is very irresponsible to do it the other way around. Keep us posted on what you decide and if your female does lay eggs or not

[coitussnakes]

Well im flat outta funds due to some personal problems at home. if i kept the eggs in like a rubber maid in a 90% room and kept the humity up would that work? maybe even putit over the heat tape in the tank?

[coitussnakes]

Also i can keep the tank at 99% humidity. i do it for sheds all the time. well i try and keep it at around 80% for sheds and the snakes are kept in a room controled by thermastat,so they have a steady heat level. ive read that if they are maternal incubting they should be kept at 88-90 f, and humity high around 80% or so. And itl be ok. ? 

[abi21491]

Well im flat outta funds due to some personal problems at home. if i kept the eggs in like a rubber maid in a 90% room and kept the humity up would that work? maybe even putit over the heat tape in the tank?

If I were you, I'd separate the snakes now if you haven't already and hope that they didn't successfully mate. Being short on funds isn't where you want to be at when you are bringing 4-10 potential mouths to feed into existence. Feeding the babies will be more expensive than a Hovabator, especially if you can't sell them quickly. BUT, if she is gravid that is a moot point.

Get a styrofoam cooler/box, without holes in it I would slap some 11" flexwatt onto it running through a thermostat set to 90F. The eggs should be in a smaller incubation container with the incubation medium. Place the thermostat probe into the container with the eggs so you know the temperature inside the egg container. Ball Python eggs can fluctuate from 88-92F safely throughout incubation with no ill effects. This will work for hatching eggs but obviously it isn't the most professional or best way to do things. It is worlds better than just leaving them though.