Bad egg (warning - disturbing pic)

So I have this clutch that ought to hatch any day now... in fact, it's been on hatch-any-day-now status for a week now. One of the eggs has this really nasty black spotted mold, and has become extremely caved in. Today, I picked it up and felt it, and there was this very hard mass in one end of it, but the rest was flimsy... so I broke down and cut it open... it turns out that the yolk had hardened in this egg, and the hatchling had died mid-development. Disturbing to find, but the rest of the clutch looks ok... I just hope they hatch soon.

-Kat

Reminds me of earthworms...

Kat...

I had that happen last year. I don't know if the snake died first, and then the yolk got hard, or vice versa. It is quite sad, though, when it happens. I am praying that none of mine do that this year.

I am glad that the rest of the eggs look good still.

Sorry to hear that KAT

I had the exact same thing happen to one of mine this year. I was carefully feeling them to see how they were, and the one egg was quite hard. Not at all how it should be, so I cut it open and it was the same thing. A really hard almost Boiled Egg like section, and a partially developed snake. Similar to yours, but mine was not quite as far along. I am expecting my 11 good eggs to pip anytime now. This is my first clutch. I was wondering what happened to that egg, now I see it is not all that uncommon. Hope you have good luck with the rest of yours! Take Care. -Don

One of my eggs seems to be dying also. It is getting way caved in, and they still have a couple weeks to go. Humidity seems fine.