Incubating Reptile Eggs: a simple way to monitor substrate moisture content

A simple technique I used for many years at the Bronx Zoo http://bit.ly/XtsfH9

Wouldn't it be advisable to have maybe a pin hole in the top of the container? To help compensate for pressure differences over the incubation period? Or is that really not a factor?

Originally Posted by Austin-12

Wouldn't it be advisable to have maybe a pin hole in the top of the container? To help compensate for pressure differences over the incubation period? Or is that really not a factor?

Hi, Thanks for your interest. It's a good idea, and many people do so. I've not had any problems in this regard; opening the top once every day or 2 seems adequate. I have left some air space at the end of the incubation period where large eggs/clutches were being held in somewhat small containers. Best, frank

How long can you actually leave eggs without looking in on them? If you spot a bad egg what do you do with it? Just curious....

Hi Mike,

For sealed containers, our protocol at the Bx Zoo was to look in every other day (every day as the incubation period neared it's end). But changes were made with first-time breedings, little known species, etc. Often eggs went for several days w/o being checked 9or any air exchanged) due to staff shortages, etc.

Eggs that were obviously infertile were removed when found, as they are often quickly colonized by mold, fungi, bacteria, etc. Phorid flies are another concern...the larvae are able to enter eggs via air pores, from the surface of the egg! Attempts were made to control mold on live eggs, not always successfully, with a variety of compounds...acriflavin worked well, as I recall. Where eggs were joined to others in the clutch, as with many snakes, decisions were made on a case by case basis...could the egg be removed w/o damaging others, etc...

best, frank

Originally Posted by zookeeperfrank

Phorid flies are another concern...the larvae are able to enter eggs via air pores, from the surface of the egg!

Recently had a ball python 7 eggs clutch die off at full term. Two survivied but have deformed noses. No tongue flicking has been observed. Odd part is none of the 7 had eyes.

Second clutch of 3 eggs hatched two weeks later ... 2 of 3 had no eyes.

Reason I am posting is that I did see larvae crawling on the eggs and just rinsed them off ... did not even consider that larvae could penetrate the egg.

Possible that these larve caused the deformity or the missing eyes? What can be done to control these flies? Would a pest strip in the incubator be safe?

thanks ... doug.

Hi Doug, Pest strips are tricky to use around herps, at least long term. The flies will be drawn to fly paper with a bit of fish food flakes or similar sprinkled about on the paper. They do not typically cause the problems you describe. Assuming temperature is appropriate, genetic factors would be more likely. Please keep me posted, best Frank.