Something I didn't Know!

Five of the 11 greyband kingsnake eggs hatched.

The other 6 eggs didn't pip and I didn't know that I should have slit each egg that didn't pip. The others started hatching on 04-14 and hatched thru 04-16. AAARGH! I slit them early today 04-19 and then opened them up later today and there were 6 fully formed but dead babies.

I have 8 more eggs cooking, I won't screw it up next time.

What a bummer. Live and learn is a tough lesson sometimes.

I suspect many of us learned this lesson just the way you did so don't beat yourself up too badly.

They could have been dead before the others pipped. I personally won't slit eggs with the exception of the ones that slit the eggs themselves but don't seem to make a big enough hole to get more than their head out. (This has only happend a few times and only with Corns which seem to have necks unlike Kings) Good luck with the others.

As the others said, I wouldn't worry too much about the ones you lost. Sometimes they just aren't meant to be.

I try to be firm with myself that I'm going to let them pip on their own or not at all... and I rarely have the patience ... with my eggs last year I only was firm enough with one small clutch of 5 eggs, 2 slit, 3 rocked like crazy...then stopped... all five were deformed.

It's cool that you have some nice babies to work with though! Sounds very neat. My kings are only just in the first 3rd of their gestation, I have quite some time before they lay, then the long wait until they hatch!

Here's a couple of pictures of the little guys. I have another clutch in the incubator now. Can't wait. They are due around June 01.

Hopefully they will be pinky eaters for you.

Thanks but getting them to eat is not a problem for me. I've got a bunch of green anoles, house geckos and fence lizards all lined up if they don't want pinkies.

Now if my mice would just cooperate. All 5 snakes have shed and tonight I went in to get 5 pinkies. No pinkies, nada, zip, zilch. I've got about 50 fuzzies & about 20 hoppers but NO PINKS! The good thing is there are about 15 females who are huge and at the ATP (about to pop) stage so the pinks will be nice & tiny, just like I like 'em for newborns.

Yay, two ate fence lizard scented pinks last night. I've had others where I work take much, much longer to decide to eat. I'm too lucky.

The other 8 eggs are due 06-01. I can't wait.