FaunaClassifieds - View Single Post - The African House Snake FAQ
View Single Post
Old 06-28-2006, 09:53 PM   #5
Dennis Hultman
Egg-laying

House Snakes lay eggs 55 – 69 days after breeding which is fairly normal with colubrid snakes. Normally a pre-laying shed is performed 5 – 14 days before laying. I provide a egg laying box with an appropriate sized hole cut in the top and partially filled with dampened vermiculite for the females after the pre laying shed. If a laying box is not provided, the female will deposit the eggs in whatever secure place she can find. Many times this is in a in-appropriate place and can be detrimental to the eggs. It should be noted that many times the eggs are laid in a clump. Many people incubate the clump as they find it. Over the years we have had some problems doing this with as the top eggs do not get the required amount of moisture and the rate of hatching problems seem to increase for us. We suggest that you monitor the egg chamber and remove the eggs as soon after laying as is possible. The eggs with gentle pressure applied will come apart and can be placed on the incubation medium directly thereby insuring proper moisture absorption. This practice will also make it easy to remove infertile or problem eggs.

It should be noted that there are many breeders that disagree with this practice and for the inexperienced keeper leaving the eggs in a clump may be the best course of action as a perforated egg normally will not incubate and reach hatching.

Incubation

House Snake eggs are incubated like any other colubrid eggs, in that the requirements are the same. I use a vermiculite and perlite mixture that is moistened to a hand pressure clump texture. I use extra large deli cups or plastic Rubbermaid boxes to accommodate the eggs. After placing the vermicutlite/perlite mixture into the box, I place each egg into the box with appropriate space between each egg. The box is then sealed with tape and is opened once per week for air exchange. The box is place in an area where temperatures can be maintained at 79 – 85 constant degrees. In approximately 62 – 78 days the eggs will hatch. During the incubation time if the substrate in the box starts to dry ( ie: no condensation can be seen on the sides of the box/deli cup) spray the sides of the box with warm water. Monitor the eggs for several days adding water as required until you see condensation when the box is opened weekly.

Conclusion

African House Snakes “Lamprophis fuliginosus” are one of the easiest of the colubrids to keep and breed. In recent years there have been a number of new color and pattern morphs produced by private collectors that add to the joy of keeping these small animals. In that they never get to be large captives, it is possible to keep larger numbers of them in a relatively small area. Thereby promoting the ability of a collector to work with more of the morphs, than in some of the larger colubrids commonly represented in the hobby. This lends itself to experimentation with line and selective breeding, thereby producing a unlimited variety of options to work with. Unusual in appearance, easy to breed, beautifully iridescent, small size and good disposition what more could you ask for in a pet snake.

John Cherry
Cherryville Farms


Special Thanks goes to Vince Scheidt of California for his help in understanding these animals after many years of keeping them in the dark so to speak. His knowledge and help was greatly appreciated and helpful.