Confused, clueless snake-sitter

[Chris Atola]

Hello all,

I'm currently house- and snake-sitting for my younger brother and his girlfriend, who are abroad for the next three-ish weeks. They have two corn snakes, and today I poked my nose in the "critter room" to discover about a dozen little, slightly dented white eggs under the water bowl with Daddy (presumably) keeping them warm. I have absolutely no experience with snakes of any kind, and even less of an idea what to do now. Do I need to do anything with the eggs, or will Rosie and Sebastian look after them independently? Are they even viable, sitting on the glass floor like that? The tank's at least 20 degrees C, maybe a little more.

On the up-side, this explains why Rosie hasn't been eating for the last couple of weeks...

Thanks in advance,
Christina Atola

 

[SnakeAround]

If you want to give the eggs a chance to hatch, take some sort of plastic box with a lid and see if there is aspen in the house. If not, soil or paper towel or any soft material able to hold some water should do for the time being. You have to wet the material to a certain degree, that keeps the eggs humid enough but not have them actually touch water. Put the material in the box (a layer of about 3 cm probably would be ok), put the eggs on it, put the lid on. Should you have a humidity meter, you have to reach a humidity level of about 90-95% inside the box. If you don't have a meter, add a bit of moist every other day until the eggs are not dented anymore. Then, find a place that is maximum 29-30 degrees C and put the box in there. Remember; humidity is most important, but too much is worse then too little. The eggs can handle lower temps but will hatch later. Higher temps then 29-30 degrees might damage and even 'kill' them, depending for how long they are in it. High temperature peeks can cause spinal problems to the embryo's. A bit of fluctuation below max temp is fine, some say it is even better for the embryo's, they might grow larger because of it.

At the other hand, if the market for corn snakes is as bad as over here or the USA, you might consider asking the owner if he wants to breed the eggs anyway. If you can post a photo of the parents, we might be able to see their colors and tell you how common the hatchlings most probably are going to be.

If you can make a photo of the eggs, we can probably see if they are fertilized at all. Usually, if they are white and dented, they are good. Unfertilized eggs are more yellowish usually and don't dry up with dents, they stay more sticky/slightly wet.

 

[Chris Atola]

Hi,

Junior tells me there is a heat pad (somewhere in the house) and that I can scavenge a hygrometer and a thermometer from his unused terrarium. I'm also told that he was told by the pet shop employee who sold him the snakes that Sebastian is a "normal" colour (whatever that means) and Rosie is an amela (albino). I'll post photos when I check on the house tomorrow afternoon.

Is there any way to tell how long the eggs have been there? Junior isn't sure those eggs weren't there shortly before they left (on the 17th) - they weren't looking for that kind of thing, after all. He's only had his snakes for a few months so he wasn't deliberately intending to breed. It's a nice surprise for him, but a bit of a shock for me...

Any tips on moving whichever snake is guarding the nest tomorrow, without me getting bitten? I don't think Junior has a snake hook yet, and Sebastian wasn't too keen on me getting anywhere near the eggs today.

Thanks in advance,
Chris Atola

 

[Christen]

I wouldn't use a human heating pad they can get way to hot but finding that hygrometer and a thermometer would b helpful that way you can find a warm spot in the house.

Have the snakes been sexed? Cause I am thinking there might be confusion on who is male and female. The snake that is wrapped around the eggs would be the girl. Either way it does still explain why Rosie hasn't eaten she/he is to busy thinking about other things to worry about food.

How many eggs are there? Is Junior sure he wants to have that many snakes? Cause it is a possibility.

I am so sorry you are getting stuck with this pet sitting.

 

[K. Rene]

Lol if your concerned put on a glove or wear a long sleeve shirt over your hand. Snakes don't really protect their eggs so I don't see why you'd have an issue taking them away. Goodness kind of a lot to ask of a pet sitter but it doesn't sound like the owner even knew the female was pregnant. Hmm glad you found this site to ask for help.

 

[Nanci]

The mother snake is the one guarding the eggs. I've _never_ had a snake even attempt to bite me when removing eggs, though they will resist by pushing your hand away with their body or tightening convulsively around the eggs.

 

[Chris Atola]

Hi,

Junior tells me Rosie was "popped" and is allegedly a girl, (no ultrasound was done, though, so apparently it's not 100%) but I don't think Sebastian was sexed - Junior certainly hasn't done it. They just decided to call him a male... I dunno, I suppose it might just have been a coincidence that Sebastian was the one in the same hole with the eggs. Perhaps he just didn't like me nudging him when trying to count them (after the initial "what on earth is that?!" moment wore off)? I'll have to guilt Junior into getting both snakes ultrasounded when they get back from their little trip.

I counted twelve eggs, although I suppose there might have been one or two hidden by substrate.

I was actually referring to a terrarium heating pad, not a human one. (I kinda took for granted that you'd somehow know that's what I meant... *blush*)

Pet-sitting two adult snakes? No problem, especially since they eat prekilled/thawed (no live feeder mice in Finland that I know of, certainly not in pet shops). If those eggs were to hatch before Steph (the girlfriend) and Junior got back? *shudders in fear*

As soon as I got home I was on Google trying to find out what to do next, which is when I found this place!

Chris Atola

 

[Shiari]

The eggs usually take 60 to 80 days to hatch. No worries there.

And 'popping' female is definitely far from 100% accurate. So most likely the snake around the egg is the female, and the other is a male.

 

[Christen]

Hi,

Junior tells me Rosie was "popped" and is allegedly a girl, (no ultrasound was done, though, so apparently it's not 100%) but I don't think Sebastian was sexed - Junior certainly hasn't done it. They just decided to call him a male... I dunno, I suppose it might just have been a coincidence that Sebastian was the one in the same hole with the eggs. Perhaps he just didn't like me nudging him when trying to count them (after the initial "what on earth is that?!" moment wore off)? I'll have to guilt Junior into getting both snakes ultrasounded when they get back from their little trip.

I counted twelve eggs, although I suppose there might have been one or two hidden by substrate.

I was actually referring to a terrarium heating pad, not a human one. (I kinda took for granted that you'd somehow know that's what I meant... *blush*)

Pet-sitting two adult snakes? No problem, especially since they eat prekilled/thawed (no live feeder mice in Finland that I know of, certainly not in pet shops). If those eggs were to hatch before Steph (the girlfriend) and Junior got back? *shudders in fear*

As soon as I got home I was on Google trying to find out what to do next, which is when I found this place!

Chris Atola

I would say if he is truly interested in finding out the sex then have someone experienced probe. I would recommend that they snakes be housed separately either way. No matter if they are female/ female or male/female. But I could understand them wanting to know.

Unfortunately, popping female is very far from accurate. I think many of us have to pop a snake many times to be comfortable calling it female. Even then I will probe later to be sure.

As far as the heat mat. After I hit submit I thought about the fact of it being and animal one too. :spinner: If there is no way to control the temp I still wouldn't use it. I think it would be best to just put them on the fridge. If you put them to the back of the fridge, when the fridge turns on the warm air will come up. Like Blutengel said the lower temps are fine it will just take longer for them to hatch, which is fine.

So basically I would find a tupperware container fill it with moss or one of the other recommendations by Blutengel and put it on top of the fridge. Check it every few days to make sure that the eggs are plumping back up and not molding and count down the days till Junior gets back and you are relieved from you duties. lol :sidestep:

 

[Airidies]

Make sure any moss, or soil is unfertilized!!!

 

[Susan]

You could also have 2 females and the eggs aren't fertilized.

 

[Chris Atola]

(Pic-heavy post! If I didn't somehow screw up the links, that is...)

Hi,

I think I kind dodged a bullet there. All but maybe two or three eggs have some very unhealthy colours (which I couldn't see the other day because of the eggs' position and Sebastian's uncooperative body) and they're all pretty dry. Instead of Junior possibly getting stuck with a dozen unwanted baby snakes, now he may only get stuck with a "worst-case" scenario of two or three babies (assuming any of the eggs even hatch...)

That's Sebastian with the eggs.

That droplet of... something... has been there consistently since I first saw the eggs.

And that's Rosie, who really wasn't cooperating. She's pink and white, with pink eyes.

The eggs are currently sitting in a much larger plastic ice cream container with their meters and whatnot, here at my house where I can monitor them better.

What do you think, are any of those eggs remotely fertile?

Thanks in advance,
Chris Atola

 

[Christen]

Unfortunately, I cant see the pics.

 

[Chris Atola]

Rats. That's what I get for using Flicker for the first time in forever... Let's try this again.

Sebastian guarding the eggs.

The eggs, obviously (or not, if this doesn't work!).

And Rosie.

... And if this doesn't work, :headbang:!

 

[Chris Atola]

Aargh! That's it, Flicker, I've had it with you.

I posted the pics to my Livejournal Scrapbook: they can be found here.

Sorry about the pic-posting nightmare... *ears turning red*

Chris Atola

 

[SnakeAround]

Nah, those seem hardly saveable... so dried out but who knows.. We would call Rosie amelanistic or missing black, what is left in colors on her is an orange background, with red saddles and some white bordersing. The eyes are red.

It still seems to me that Rosie is the male, because the female does not leave her eggs usually very soon after laying. Nor would I expect the male to guard them should she leave...