Reptile & Amphibian
News Blog
Keep up with news and features of interest to the reptile and amphibian community on the kingsnake.com blog. We cover breaking stories from the mainstream and scientific media, user-submitted photos and videos, and feature articles and photos by Jeff Barringer, Richard Bartlett, and other herpetologists and herpetoculturists.
Tuesday, November 30 2010
By
Tue, November 30 2010 at 23:25
Over the past decade or more, we as the reptile and exotics keeping community and industry have seen a tremendous increase in the amount of legislation and regulations being proposed, and in many cases, passed pertaining to the ownership of these animals. Such legislation and regulations are, and have been, proposed at all levels of government, ranging from local municipalities, counties and parishes, state/province, and even federally. Oftentimes, when it relates to reptiles, animals such as crocodilians, venomous reptiles. and the large constrictor species are frequently subjected to such regulatory efforts. However, many local municipalities (here in Wisconsin and elsewhere) often have far more restrictive ordinances specifying which animals can and cannot be kept or sold.
Furthermore, most, if not all states and provinces now have their own regulations pertaining to the collection, possession, and sale of their indigenous reptile and amphibian species, particularly those which are threatened, endangered, or otherwise legally protected. Therefore, it is important to know which species are indigenous to your state and which ones are protected by law. It is also important to be aware of, and abide by all other applicable laws and regulations pertaining to keeping reptiles and amphibians, whether you currently reside in a given area and are considering acquiring a particular species which may or may not be legal, or whether you plan to relocate to another municipality, county, and/or state.
The Dos of Finding Your Local Herp Laws
1. Join and participate in your local, regional, or state herp society. Oftentimes, other members of many herp societies will be aware of the laws and regulations, and will be able to provide you useful insight and information about them. The individuals you speak with should seem knowledgeable, and be able to either provide you with a copy of the regulations in question, or be able to direct you to them.
2. The Internet is also a valuable and useful tool for conducting nearly any type of research. In most cases, native species regulations can be found through conducting searches on your state's department of natural resources, or fish and game department. Oftentimes, many counties and municipalities will also either have links on their web pages to their code of ordinances (sometimes called the municipal code, or by laws), or the code will be posted directly to their website. Municode.com is a website containing the municipal codes of many counties and municipalities. There is also a law database right here on Kingsnake.com containing links to many local and state laws as well.
3. Many regulations and ordinances are also available at your local library or city/town hall, particularly if you are unable to locate them elsewhere. In most cases, the applicable ordinances relating to keeping reptiles or other exotics will be contained within the animal or pet related ordinances, which may require a little searching to locate if they are not given their own chapter.
The Don'ts of Finding Your Local Herp Laws
1. When researching the laws in your area, it is preferable to avoid specifically inquiring about the legality status of reptiles, or other exotic animals to municipality or other local governmental staff. Chances are, many council people will be uninformed and/or fearful of these animals, and doing so will bring the issue to the forefront of their attention and inspire them to draft ordinances against the ownership of these animals (if there are no current ordinances already) in response to what they often perceive to be a "sudden and imminent influx of people keeping deadly exotic animals in the city to protect public safety". If one must make such inquiries to local government, at most ask to see their animal ordinances.
2. Do not necessarily assume that animals you see being sold or displayed in your local pet stores, or at temporary bona fide animal exhibits held in your area are legal to privately keep where you live. Remember that most pet stores serve customers not only in their respective municipalities, but also oftentimes individuals well outside of that municipality, or even region wide. In many instances, local municipalities with restrictions provide exemptions for retail stores, bona fide shows, or other businesses for keeping or selling otherwise prohibited animals provided that several other humane animal care, and sanitation measures are met and maintained.
3. Do not find out the hard way that your area has regulations or restrictions in place, as law enforcement personnel I know would likely say ignorance of the law is no excuse. In most cases, conducting 10 to 20 minutes of research beforehand will save you much of the potential trouble and hassles later on associated with being discovered to have violated laws or ordinances.
In conclusion, it should be important for all of us to be aware of and abide by all applicable local and state regulations on keeping our beloved reptiles. While many of us may see many of these ordinances (particularly at the municipality level) as being utterly ridiculous, arbitrary, and making little to no sense biologically, or even outright logically (and thus be tempted to take the "don't ask, don't tell approach"), we must nevertheless either abide by them or choose to reside elsewhere where our animals are permitted. I believe this is especially so if we wish to be seen by the public as a whole as a legitimate, responsible, and law abiding hobby and industry.
In nearly each publicized instance where an individual is found to be violating some aspect of reptile related laws (whether pertaining to indigenous or exotic species) or in such cases where someone participates in some other unscrupulous act, it seems that we as the herpetocultural and field herping community as a whole receive yet even more negative publicity, thereby providing even more ammunition for those that oppose our hobby and industry with, and in many cases, are the catalysts for further restrictions or even outright prohibitions. In short, be smart, be aware, and be responsible when it come to laws.
 Internationally known zoologist and former "Wild Kingdom" host Jim Fowler, appearing at a wildlife expo in Florida this weekend, blamed media hype and Senator Bill Nelson for the Burmese python problem in Florida. From an interview with a Florida based newspaper group:
"The media is creating a fear of animals," Fowler said, "and animals are really not dangerous to humans...."
Fowler called the issue of Burmese pythons in the Everglades an example of overreaction, with the probable numbers of snakes and their danger greatly exaggerated. Fowler said Sen. Bill Nelson went so far as to introduce federal legislation that would prohibit importation of any "exotic" wildlife.
Fowler said more people are killed by machines than animals. "We haven't been around on Earth long enough to be horrified about being killed by machines."
Jim Fowler began as co-host of Mutual of Omaha's "Wild Kingdom" with legendary zoologist Marlon Perkins before becoming the main host in 1984, winning four Emmys in the process. Now 80, Fowler is still active and is at the expo to introduce animal exhibits and also offer "a new message for the 21st century." To read more about what Jim is saying and doing now, check out the article in The Walton Sun.
I've always been a strange bird, and I like it that way. I like being the one that makes people look at me strange, and thing, wth? I also have a very curious nature, which is one of my fatal flaws. I'm the person that asks all the silly questions that normal people wouldn't even think about.
I know hardly anyone does maternal incubation. But when we bred our ball python, the lovely Wilson, this year, we opted for maternal. We wanted to watch the process. And exciting it was, I can not deny. And a success. She laid a total of five, four were viable. Three hatched, the last died during the hatching process, it was on the bottom and we don't think he was able to get out in time. It was definitely a learning experience.
My moot subject...it will sound strange, but do please keep an open mind.
Four or so years ago, our two female balls shared a tank. As it turned out, Delilah was not the female we were told and the two bred. Which of course prompted an immediate name change to Del. Never before had we bred, thought of breeding, or knew what a gravid female would look like, so we had no idea until five eggs were laid. There were never two more surprised people, and two people that didn't know what to do.
Also, there was a frantic enclosure search. Where on earth was Del? Unless a door is left open, our tanks are escape proof. The pride of my husband, custom built tanks. So he couldn't have escaped. While Wilson sat around her clutch, we searched behind the hide box she'd laid in, under the water bowl, sifted through bedding. Del was no where to be found.
Lifting the hide box off of Wilson, my husband started laughing and said, I found Del. I looked and was shocked to see Del was also wrapped around the clutch, with Wilson wrapped around him. His head resting just where you could see him. He was removed and placed in a new enclosure.
Because of our own ignorance, we were not successful at hatching the eggs. A valid learning experience though, one that we took to heart.
My question is, and yes, it will sound stupid to most (but again, that open mind thing), is I wonder if he would have helped incubate the eggs? Why was he in there? Why would he coil around the eggs like a female? He has no maternal instinct, so why do it at all? Was he just wanting to be in the hide box with her? He had other options, so why use that one? And why actually coil around the eggs?
We know so much, yet so little about wild ball pythons. Yes, the chances are extremely slim that males are involved in the incubation process. BUT so many males in the animal kingdom are involved in hatching or raising of young, so why not a snake too?
Just one of those things I needed to get out.
While not the first, PC World is among the latest to report that Wi-Fi signal radiation has a negative impact on tree health. According to Wageningen University in the Netherlands, Wi-Fi radiation is a definite cause of alterations in tree development, also as bleeding and fissures in the bark. To quote the research, “all deciduous trees in the Western world are affected” by Wi-Fi radiation.
Resource for this article - http://personalmoneystore.com/moneyblog/2010/11/22/wifi-damaging-trees/">Wi-Fi signals are damaging trees, says Netherlands study by Personal Money Store.
Blaming one thing other than the bacteria and viruses for issues the Wi-Fi research discovered
The five-year Wageningen University Wi-Fi research focused on trees within the Netherlands city of Alphen aan den Rijn. Because of Wi-Fi electromagnetic radiation, 70 percent of urban area trees have symptoms while development and abnormalities were shown in only 10 percent of trees and shrubs when the research for begun.
Because of the overall production of radiation from satellite equipment and Wi-Fi on trucks and automobiles with radio along with all the mobile phone networks, the trees were hurt while the ultra-fine particles emitted by Wi-Fi signals were studied by Wageningen also. Scientists remark that the ultra-fine particles are so small that they can easily enter organisms like trees and shrubs. Human beings could be in danger with this. Other plants and animals are a concern too. One would assume that the radiation would have human cells reacting really bad to it. There are not any studies that have been published on this though.
Wi-Fi is important, but the price could possibly be deadly
The environment needs trees. The USDA Forest Service explains the importance. It seems like now that Wi-Fi is here, nobody would be willing to give up something that is so important to us. If the trees and shrubs all die though, this is what would be gone:
- Pollutants would not be absorbed from the air to the trees and shrubs.
- No trees and shrubs to increase property values.
- No trees to improve neighborhood and business appeal.
- No trees to cool cities.
- Annually, $250 is saved by the average United States household with trees and shrubs for shade. This would not happen anymore.
- Trees save the United States of America millions by reducing pollutants in the water supply. This could no longer happen.
- Many animals live in trees and shrubs. This would no longer happen.
Citations
PC World
pcworld.com/article/211219/study_says_wifi_makes_trees_sick.html?tk=rss_news
Forestry
in.gov/dnr/forestry/files/Fo-Top10ReasonsWe_NeedTrees0709.pdf
BBC special report on Wi-Fi and cellular radiation
youtube.com/watch?v=4QJpbQTb2Uo
Monday, November 29 2010
 I'm starting to sound like a broken record, but please oh please, can the Sea Turtles catch a break?
First the BP oil spill devasted the turtles. Now they're being rushed to the New England Aquarium suffering from cold waters. From NCEN:
The endangered reptiles washed up on the beaches of Wellfleet late Wednesday night. They'd come north to feed on crabs over the summer and got stuck in the chilly waters of Cape Cod Bay.
LaCasse says "September first it's 70 degrees, October first, it's 60 degrees, November first it's 50 degrees and at that point they're really just floating out in the water."
"This group as a whole really concerns me," says Rescue Rehab Director Connie Mergio.
She and the other biologists at the Aquarium's newly opened Animal Care Center say all of these turtles are suffering from hypothermia. Many of them have bacteria and algae growing on their bodies. Most are also dehydrated and will likely be diagnosed with pneumonia.
"When you pick them up they should flap their flippers around they should take a good breath," says Mergio. "We're really not seeing a lot of that."
The video is after the bump, but if Santa exists, can he cut the Sea Turtles a break for one year for my gift?
Continue reading "More troubles for Sea Turtles"
 Our world's amphibians are taking a hit in the wild, but a first time breeding of the La Loma Tree Frog gives hope for at least one species' survival.
From Science Daily:
"We are some of the first researchers to attempt to breed these animals into captivity and we have very little information about how to care for them," said Brian Gratwicke, international coordinator for the project and a research biologist at the Smithsonian's National Zoo, one of nine project partners. "We were warned that we might not be able to keep these frogs alive, but through a little bit of guesswork, attention to detail and collaboration with other husbandry experts -- we've managed to breed them. The lessons we're learning have put us on target to save this incredible species and our other priority species in Panama."
The rescue project currently has 28 adult La Loma tree frogs and four tadpoles at the Summit Municipal Park outside of Panama City, Panama. In addition to the La Loma tree frog, the project also has successfully bred the endangered Limosa harlequin frog, Atelopus limosus. Keepers will continue to carefully monitor the tadpoles of both species.
An award was given to the Spinyback Tuatara Trust recently for their education efforts. From The Nelson Mail:
The trust's executive officer, Sarah Holman, said the programme allowed people to get up close with two 10-year-old tuataras, and promoted a conservation message mixing science with stories from Ngati Koata, the Kaitiaki, or guardian, of the tuatara.
"We hope to leave children with an interest in nature and what can be done for endangered species and the environment.
"Most people involved are doing it in a voluntary capacity, so it's nice to be recognised. It's great that more people are finding out about what we do."
Congrats and thanks to all those who volunteer for conservation. There are more of you out there than most of us realize!
Sunday, November 28 2010
Until the past two summers, in eight years of living where we do now, we've only seen two snakes. But that changed the summer before last. We have free range chickens, which should have brought the snakes in years ago, but it didn't. Then the summer of 2009, we started getting visitors. It started with a corn snake, which I don't think I've ever seen in the wild, even though they are of this area. Then it was your traditional black rat snakes. The corn snake was in the back of our field, so we observed him for a bit and let him go on his way. But the rat snakes were more bold.
They started investigating my husband's shop, which was also a favorite laying spot for one of my chickens. About ten pm one night we heard her raising cain, and found her fighting off a rat snake trying to get her babies. He was caught and removed. We had another that while he ate the hen's eggs, he was constricting the hen at the same time. It took some doing, but my husband got him to let loose of the hen and she lived to see another day, as well as he did.
This summer proved to be most interesting in their activities. We had a total of four rat snakes and a coach whip that were removed from our yard. My mother in law lives next door to us, and called me one afternoon frantic. She'd noticed the chickens were raising cain and when she went to see what all the commotion was about, she found two rat snakes against the back side of her house, trying to preserve the species. Not something she wanted to find. My husband, the snake mumbler as a friend of ours calls him, caught both of them and we relocated them down the road. Love was still in the air, right back at it they went.
One was your regular black rat, who'd obviously had a pretty rough life. The tail was missing and scars over the body. I would venture to say it may have survived a run on the highway. The other was a yellow rat snake, which isn't something we see often in the south central part of SC.
The local snakes must know my mother in law hates them, because out of the five snakes this year, four we caught along the back side of her house. One was in my husband's shop. And each one is carefully caught, and released elsewhere. They can live in the field, but once they start coming to the house, it gets a bit to close for comfort. And my mother in law starts freaking out.
Wonder what he'll catch next year?
 The future of the Mountain Yellow-legged Frogs in California is getting brighter with a second tadpole release.
From the Zoo and Aquarium Visitor:
The initial reintroduction effort of this species occurred in April 2010 when about 500 eggs were released into the stream in hopes of successful hatching. The tadpoles from that release of eggs are so small that it has been difficult for scientists to determine how many survived.
The first-ever tadpole reintroduction for the species occurred in August. By “head starting” the tadpoles, partners hoped to increase survival in the wild. The release was conducted using both caged and free-swimming tadpoles. Eighteen tadpoles were released immediately into the stream while another 18 were put into a cage in the stream; the cage protected the tadpoles from predators and also allowed researchers to feed them. Each grouping was tagged with a different color marker. All 18 tadpoles in the cage survived the three-month period of reintroduction into the stream and were about 50 to 60 millimeters long (1 to 2½ inches) when they were released from the cage today. In the spring, scientists will go back to the stream and count the tadpoles to determine which of the release methods was most successful.
Kingsnake.com paid a visit to the Beckman Center for Conservation Research in September, and Jeff Lemm proudly discussed their work with the Mountain Yellow-legged Frogs, going into great detail about the project as well as concerns relating to the release.
Initial reports of survival rates of the initial egg release were amazing, and we at kingsnake.com wish them the same luck on this release.
Friday, November 26 2010
At least three times a week, I hear, "You keep snakes?!" Yes, we do. And we aren't ashamed of it. Sometimes, I'm met with animosity, sometimes I get loads of questions. I'm far from an expert, and I answer what I can. It's one topic I never get tired of discussing. I could sit all day and answer the most ridiculous questions. Why? Because I'm educating someone. I'm giving someone knowledge they didn't have before. Am I making a snake fan? Probably not. But will they be more likely to hesitate to kill the next one they find in their yard? Maybe, and it could be just enough time for the little guy to escape.
Most people are taught at a young age that snakes are something to be feared. I was. I remember as a child, watching my parents lift rat snakes (chicken snakes down here) out of our duck's nest and kill them. At the time, I thought it was safer that way. Now I know different. My dad, the biggest anti-snake person you will ever meet, has finally realized that non-venomous snakes don't have to be eliminated, and he'll let them go. The venomous ones are another story, and I won't argue his point. He called me over the summer and said, "Well, you'd be proud, I fished a Coach Whip out of the pool and I didn't kill him. He better not come back though..."
When people ask us stupid questions about snakes or anything that is given a bad reputation, we need to answer as honestly and truthfully as possible. Ridicule is only met with more animosity towards the topic. We need to look at it this way, at least they are interested enough to ask, and don't just automatically say, "You're crazy!" and walk away.
Answer people's questions, give them all the benefits of snakes, not just keeping as pets, but as our wildlife as well. We should stand proud as reptile owners, not damn ourselves by not discussing our hobby. My dad is the perfect example. He's still terrified of snakes, still hates the fact that we keep them in our house with his grandchild, but because of our talks, a Coach Whip lived to see another day. And that makes it worth all the oxygen I thought I was wasting.
Thursday, November 25 2010
By Varanid
Thu, November 25 2010 at 15:16
Most people that try to breed temperate colubrids hibernate (cycle) their animals. I have some kingsnakes I want to breed next year, so I decided to give it a go.
Here's the steps:
Decide you'll hibernate them over the holidays to make vacation easier. Good a time as any.
Stop feeding the snakes early october.
In late October, figure out what can keep temps in the low to mid 50s, and hold lots of plastic bins. I went with a wine cooler.
Blanche at the cost of the wine cooler, but buy it anyway.
Realize the wine cooler doesn't fit in your car, call a friend with a van from the phone at Home Depot.
Get the wine cooler home, drop it on your foot while moving it into your bedroom while wondering how you're going to explain this to your wife.
Plug it in, set it at a medium coolness setting, let it run overnight. Realize setting 4 holds it in the mid 50s which seems perfect.
Come home from work, get a "look" from wife regarding the new thing taking up space in the bedroom, and the presence of snakes in the bedroom.
Clean out some extra tubs you have laying around, and some small water bowls.
After tubs are dry, fill with 2-3" of aspen, place water bowl in, an get the snakes in the tubs. I'm chilling them in pairs or trios based on desired breedings.
Week 1-3:
open door daily to let in fresh air, check on water bowls and animals. Be grateful for drastically reduced cage work.
Weeks 4+:
Be bored out of your skull with all your babies in hibernation and nothing to do. Think about painting the house, building an outbuilding, or just watching paint dry.
Week 12 (still to come:
Warm up temps in wine cooler over 3-4 days to the mid sixties. Unplug heat tape on the rack I use, and place them in the tubs at room temp for a day or three, then plug in heat tape on a lower setting.
Week 40:
Look forward to a short break again 
Wednesday, November 24 2010
The extinction of amphibians is occurring at such a staggering rate that it's rare and wonderful to see a country set goals to work towards conserving them before it's too late.
As reported in a recent press release, The University of Delhi formed a partnership with Global Wildlife Conservation, the Natural History Museum (London), the IUCN/SSC Amphibian Specialist Group, the Wildlife Conservation Society, and Conservation International to launch a program called "LOST! Amphibians of India."
"Now is the time to act and show our support for these species of India before they shift from lost to extinct," said Conservation International's President, Dr. Russell Mittermeier.
[....]
India has more lost amphibian species, 48 in total, than any other country in the world. Most of these species have not been seen by scientists for decades, with some missing for over 150 years. The majority of these species are known only by a single preserved specimen in a jar at either the Natural History Museum in London or the Zoological Survey of India. Worse yet, at least 17 lost species exist in name only, having been lost over the past century.
Often referred to as nature's barometers, amphibians are declining at an amazingly fast pace. To visit the website for the program, click here
Tuesday, November 23 2010
 I always get asked about hibernating animals, even though it's not information I need myself. I don't breed, so the snakes are safe and the turtles and tortoises that come and go through my rescue are temporary visitors; they stay up year round here.
Today, the Tortoise Trust released their revised hibernation guidelines, and the break down by species rocks. The Tortoise Trust, much like our friends over at the Turtle and Tortoise Preservation Group, aims to help establish captive colonies of tortoises in private homes as well as educating the pet owners on proper care.
All of the information presented has been carefully prepared by some of the most experienced tortoise keepers in the world in close consultation with leading veterinary surgeons. The techniques described are in daily use at our own tortoise sanctuaries in Britain, the USA, and South Africa, and have been tried and tested over many years. The effectiveness of these techniques is such that despite hibernating possibly more tortoises each year than anyone else, we have never suffered a single hibernation fatality. In each case, the methods used were those described in this booklet. With proper care and attention to detail, you too can achieve similar results.
Tortoises are now under threat worldwide, mainly from habitat loss and in some cases from collecting for the pet animal trade. Fortunately, some active steps to conserve these animals are at last being taken. Much more needs to be done. The endless destruction of natural habitats must be controlled, and conservation reserves created where these animals can continue to breed and survive without human predation. Land tortoises fresh water, and marine turtles all need our help and consideration if they are to survive as species. They must not be lost forever.
The breakdown is very detailed and also shows some of the issues that may present themselves post waking. To search out your species, click here.
Monday, November 22 2010
-med.JPG) Known to herpetoculturists as the Paradise Tree Snake, Chrysopelea paradisi is one of five related species of tree-dwelling snakes from Southeast and South Asia. And this snake is revealing to scientists the secrets to its unique ability to "fly," or more accurately, to glide, from great heights and over great distances.
Scientists have tracked them gliding more than 79 feet in distance in the Asian jungle canopy. In fact, according to study author Jake Socha, a biologist at Virginia Tech, they're not shy about displaying their skills on camera.
"They glide; that's what they do," "So they're like, 'I'm outta here, I'm gonna go down there."
Socha and the team at Virginia Tech discovered that it's not only the snakes ability to flatten themselves out into an airfoil that gives them the ability to glide for extreme distances, but their undulating body movements also play a great part in extending and directing their flight.
To check out the article on Live Science about this amazing flying snake, click here, or check out some of the videos at http://homepage.mac.com/j.socha/video/video.html.
Sunday, November 21 2010
Happiness!
Keeping your herps clean and healthy is key to longevity. After years of rescue and seeing the general LACK of quality care some people afford their animals, I realize you can only turn improve their life so much. The truth is the long term effects of poor sanitation are still unknown. However, preventative care avoids testing this theory.
For those concerned with the cost and time of care, keep it cheap and use bleach (cup per gallon of bleach is fine), have extra tubs or containers to store the animals. Think about it, if you have a snake from hatchling to live out its full life say 20 years, you will likely clean the cage some 1,000 times over the life of the animal. Now multiply that time the number of animals you keep. I have been doing this now for roughly 20yrs and I can attest to the efforts needed to maintain herps let along lots of herps. I have found lots of short cuts (as I am sure others have as well). So I am sharing a couple here for reference in hope to improve others efforts in providing quality care:
- I love 5gal buckets! For roughly $2.50 each they make great soakers for treating food dishes and bowls. Fill with dirty dishes, add a couple cups of bleach and a squart or Dawn or similar dish soak, and let sit for a day covered. The bleach will works it effects, when you rinse, scrub a little and rinse well.
- Plastic tubs rock! But don't stop at just enough to house your herps. Buy extra to swap out when cages are dirty, you can clean the soiled tub later, so don't let you herp sit in the soiled cage any day longer.
- Take the time to not only clean your herps cage, but interact with them. Listen, feel smell! Listen for raspy breathing, feel popping in their lungs or gurgling, smell for stanky rot smell (hopefully never!) and look at your herp. Bad sheds, retained eye caps, swollen body parts, extended vents or prolapse? Pay attention to the details.
- Remember if hte cage smells, there is a source, remove and sanitize. Get into the rhythm.
- Music or TV? Funny as it sounds, I have a stereo system and TV in or around my herp room. Why, to make it fun. Some argue their snakes like Country, Soft Rock and even (my favorite) Heavy Metal! Accountant by trade, herper by choice, Hard Rocker by Soul!
Good luck!
We decided to try our hand at breeding this year. Years ago, two of our snakes bred (they were both females, ha, ha, joke was on us!) and in our inexperience, we let the eggs die. So after lots of research, we decided to try again.
Even though we have a male pastel ball python, we decided to put the male that bred Wilson before in with her. Both are normals. Del proved to be just as studly as he was four years ago, and breeding began. They locked up almost immediately, and stayed that way for 24 hours. I jokingly told my husband that some women have all the luck. He was not amused.
We let Wilson and Del together for a few days, to see if they would lock again, but once was obviously enough. Del returned to his own enclosure, we waited.
We had long ago decided we wanted to be different. Everyone says incubator, incubator! Well, we opted for maternal incubation. Yes, it's hard on the female, and keeps you from being able to breed again that year. We aren't breeders, we had no interest in breeding her again this year. We wanted to see the process, I guess getting as close as we'd ever see to them breeding and incubating in the wild. Though we had an incubator ready for back up in case something went wrong.
July 13th, Wilson laid a clutch of 5 eggs directly under her heat lamp, instead of in her hide box like last time. Figuring she knew what was best, we left her to the baking of baby snakes. Ever the smart mother, she had no need to leave the nest to bask and warm up, no shivering to bring up her own body temperature.
During the incubation, we had worries. The eggs started to sink in, discolor, and looked nothing like the pictures of viable eggs looked like. But my husband and I reminded ourselves, those are eggs in an incubator, not being hatched by the snake itself. So we left them be. We worried that Wilson would get underweight and become ill. So we watched for signs.
In about the fourth week, our first real problem came about. Wilson had come into shed. She left her nest long enough to get some of the skin off her face, but her body was still covered in old skin. It literally looked like it had exploded on her body. So we fretted. Do we pull her off and soak her? Do we leave her and see if she gets it off herself? If we remove her, how combative will she be?
After a day of debate, we decided that the eggs weren't worth her getting infections from old skin, so hubby donned a pair of gloves and opened the door. We really expected her to be come aggressive, to protect her clutch, but shockingly she only coiled tighter. He gently removed her from her nest and she allowed him. No aggression, no bites, no need for the gloves. It was as if it was no different than any other time he'd removed her from her tank. Now, I knew these two had a bond, but not like that! We placed her in the soak tank and decided we would check out the eggs.
One egg we could tell immediately was a dud. The other four, though they looked rough, showed signs of life. Carefully replacing them how he found them, my husband shut the enclosure door. We gave Wilson her soak time, pulled her out and my husband wiped all the old skin off. We checked her out, making sure that four weeks without a meal wasn't taking a tole on her body. She had lost some weight, of course, but was not unhealthy. So we returned her to her tank.
September 18th, my husband comes banging on the bathroom door, "We have babies!" We both rush in, and watch with wonder as we see this tiny head sticking out. It was amazing to watch Wilson, curled around these now white and brown eggs, and a head hardly bigger than my thumb looking around. I guess we spooked it, because it sucked back into the egg. We had to wait about ten minutes before it would come back out. About two hours later, it was finally free of the egg that protected him for all those months. Again worried of her reaction, but knowing she would crust that tiny baby, my husband reached in and removed it from the nest. He passed it to me, and I just stared in absolute wonder. Never before had I held something so tiny and so fragile. And I was helping it get its first look at the world.
Out of the four eggs, three hatched. The last egg was developed, but did not make it. We suspect because it was on the bottom of the pile, it was unable to escape the egg. If we'd have realized, we would have helped, but we were learning.
Wilson is back to powering down her food, trying to regain the weight she lost while incubating her eggs. She's almost there. Soon she'll return to the finicky eater she was before breeding season, but hopefully not until she's back up to weight. There is discussion of breeding her to our pastel next year, but we will see.
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