Michigan Cichlid Association
General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: ballpython584 on April 23, 2012, 03:58:50 PM
-
First I realize this is a fish forum, but I started a thread like this on the old forum. It was received with a nice response so I thought I would start a new one.
For me the ball python breeding season runs from late Sept. thru the end of April. This is the time when I pair snakes for what morphs I am trying to obtain.
This year I was shooting for fires, spiders, hypo ghosts, black pastels and butters. I know these morphs mean nothing to most of you, but they mean a whole lot to me. I will be happy to post pics of these morphs, just ask.
Anyway, I woke up to my first clutch of eggs this morning. This clutch is a little more special to me as the female normal was my very first ball python and thus lead to my addiction and subsequent collection.
So without further ado here are a few pics...
This first pic is the fire male and normal female breeding. If you look closely you can see the males tail under the females tail. This is the actual copulation or "Lock" as it is called. The male is on the left
(http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g438/ballpython584/Fire%20by%20Normal%20Luna/2011-10-07_10-07-23_747.jpg)
This next photo is the female several months ago after her ovulation. You can see how fat she is from about midway to her tail. This is an obvious sign she is gravid...
(http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g438/ballpython584/Fire%20by%20Normal%20Luna/2012-04-02_10-01-36_658.jpg)
This next photo is the female again. This was taken about two weeks ago. If you look closely you can see a slight bulge. This is an egg she is moving into place for laying...
(http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g438/ballpython584/Fire%20by%20Normal%20Luna/2012-04-02_10-03-02_820.jpg)
This next photo is from this morning. It shows the female coiled tightly around her clutch of eggs...
(http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g438/ballpython584/Fire%20by%20Normal%20Luna/2012-04-23_09-10-42_573.jpg)
This last photo is the clutch of eggs in the hatching container...
(http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g438/ballpython584/Fire%20by%20Normal%20Luna/2012-04-23_09-21-57_432.jpg)
I will be updating this thread weekly as I check the development of the eggs. I will post photos of the eggs as best I can.
If anyone has any questions at all, please feel free to ask.
-
Very interesting, thanks for posting.
-
Thanks for the thread - I enjoy reading these
-
I am by no means someone who like snakes but for some reason I always enjoy these posts of Larry playing with his balls.
-
Jeff you bring something special to the forum. (Balls) Nice snake Larry.
-
The female is beautiful. The maternal instinct, the female wrapped around her eggs, is awesome in a reptile.
-
Hey Larry do you use incubator?
-
I do use an incubator.
-
I too enjoy the thread but still think you are nuts. I would never keep snakes. I hate snakes! unless its for dinner then they can come in my house but never alive and never to stay around.
-
Larry has a pretty impressive setup. He has about a million mice breeding for him as well.
-
Larry has a pretty impressive setup. He has about a million mice breeding for him as well.
Thanks Marty. Wouldn't say I have a "Million" mice, but close to 1000 at any given time. I also have anywhere from 40-50 rats breeding giving me anywhere from 100-200 babies of various sizes at any given time.
Anyway the reason for this update...I check the eggs once a week. I do this for several reasons:
1. to give the eggs a few minutes of fresh air, While some breeders do not do this some do.
2. I like to check on the development of the eggs. By checking the veins I can tell if the eggs are developing stronger or are getting weaker and going bad,
Here are a few pics of the "candled" eggs. It is somewhat difficult doing this by myself, but I think the pics turned out pretty good. You can see the veins are looking good.
(http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g438/ballpython584/Fire%20by%20Normal%20Luna/FirexNormalcandle42920124.jpg)
(http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g438/ballpython584/Fire%20by%20Normal%20Luna/FirexNormalcandle42920123.jpg)
(http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g438/ballpython584/Fire%20by%20Normal%20Luna/FirexNormalcandle42920122.jpg)
(http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g438/ballpython584/Fire%20by%20Normal%20Luna/FirexNormalcandle42920121.jpg)
All the eggs but one have strong veins. One has no veins leading me to believe it is a slug. I will leave this egg alone and see what happens with it.
Will update the thread next time I check the eggs in about a weeks time.
Larry
-
Great photos of the eggs. Very interesting info regarding the maternal care.
While I wouldn't keep them, I find snakes very beautiful.
-
Pauline...glad your enjoying the thread.
-
Sorry if I missed it, but how long does it take for the eggs to hatch?
-
Average is 50-60 days at 89 degrees.
-
Well yesterday (6/17/2012) was day 54 for this clutch so I decided to cut one of the eggs to check on the snake. This has been a puzzling clutch as four of the eggs have yet to dimple although the other six started to dimple 11 days ago.
Anyway...the snake in the egg I slit was fine. This morning three more eggs had pipped so I cut the other two that were dimpled. Later in the day, one of the four non-dimpled eggs pipped. Below are a few pics of the eggs opened so far.
It should be noted that once the egg pips, I cut a "window" opening so I can view the egg. I do this so I can make sure the snake is fine. There are issues that can happen during development such as the umbilical card being wrapped around the snake. By cutting this window it gives me a chance to correct any issues and hopefully save the snake.
(http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g438/ballpython584/Fire%20by%20Normal%20Luna/002.jpg)
(http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g438/ballpython584/Fire%20by%20Normal%20Luna/001.jpg)
(http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g438/ballpython584/Fire%20by%20Normal%20Luna/007.jpg)
(http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g438/ballpython584/Fire%20by%20Normal%20Luna/006.jpg)
Will post more pics as the little darlins emerge from there eggs.
-
Little darlins, lol
-
That's awesome!
-
Thats bad ass
-
One more update:
All but one hatchling out of their egg. I will post a small series of pics showing the exit.
(http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g438/ballpython584/Fire%20by%20Normal%20Luna/004.jpg)
(http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g438/ballpython584/Fire%20by%20Normal%20Luna/005.jpg)
(http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g438/ballpython584/Fire%20by%20Normal%20Luna/FirexNormalHatchlings61920123.jpg)
(http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g438/ballpython584/Fire%20by%20Normal%20Luna/FirexNormalHatchlings61920122.jpg)
(http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g438/ballpython584/Fire%20by%20Normal%20Luna/FirexNormalhatchlings62020122.jpg)
These were the last two to exit. The one was out this morning. I believe the last should be out in the next day or two.
(http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g438/ballpython584/Fire%20by%20Normal%20Luna/FirexNormalhatchlings62120122.jpg)
The fire's are on the left (5 snakes) the normals are on the right (4 snakes) one way to tell the two apart is if you look closely at the head of the fire's you will see a distinctive head spot. The second to the last pic is the best shot for this.
(http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g438/ballpython584/Fire%20by%20Normal%20Luna/FirexNormalhatchlings62120123.jpg)
Male / female ratio..
2.3 fire's
2.2 Normals
Tip...the numbers represent the gender...males first, females second. It reads 2 male/3 female fire's and 2 male/2 female normals
Hope everyone enjoyed the thread. I really didn't get to update the thread as often as I would have liked due to time constraints, but it pretty much tells the story of the clutch from pairing to hatching.
Larry
-
Nice thread, thanks Larry
-
Those fires have awesome patterns. My brother would probably love one. I think he has a regular ball python. He loves reptiles (worked at the Central Park Zoo for years).
My wife and I recently saw a Green Tree Python and have been thinking of what it would entail to keep one. They are awesome looking. I don't like the whole mouse/rat breeding thing though.