RAUK - Archived Forum - Egg protection advice

Simon Townson published an article on grass snake eggs reared at different temps (BHS Bulletin 34).  Although working with small sample sizes, 27-28oC worked well.  In a similar situation to this thread, I have incubated grass snake eggs artificially (compost heap destroyed).  I think this option works well if you feel you have a 'feel' for captive care of herps.  Eggs placed in damp vermiculite and kept in airing cupboard, temp upper twenties.  Note, snake eggs collapse a little immediately prior to hatching...

John Baker

I keep snakes at home and have recently hatched a few clutches of eggs, here is my method.

Get a polystyrene box with a lid ,from a tropical fish shop for example , fill it with 4 inches of water and put an aquarium heater in the water set to the desired temperature.Put the eggs in some damp vermiculite, half buried if possible in a tupperware box with lid. Put the lid of the poly box on and wait for them to hatch. Simple.

PS reptile eggs have to be kept up the same way as you found them.

Hi,

don't worry, Grass Snakes eggs are pretty durable but as Kevin rightly says you need to keep them the same way up at all times. But just because the cold has delayed the incubation, it doesn't necessarily follow that the eggs wont hatch. Get them warm and once hatched you may have to consider some adopted off spring for the winter or find them some decent meals before release so that they have some protection against the winter.

Rob

PS,

I'll email steve for you and see if he's interested in helping (not herping :-})

If you decide you can't or don't want the committment, PM me and although I'm in Essex I'll come and pick them up. My track record on hatching Grassies so far, is 9 from 18, 5 from 12 and 2 from 8. The two from 8 was from a heap that had been turned, so likelihood was eggs were upturned also. But 16 from 38 is probably about natures average anyway.

R

Thank you all, that is mostly very reassuring. (Except
for the "do not turn" bit, because obviously I had no
idea about that when I found them, but have been very
careful since.) The aquarium method is brilliant! We keep
tropical fish, so I should have thought of it myself.
However, now that the chest full of compost has warmed
through, the temperature has stabilised well, so having
constructed this incubator I am happy to wait and see how
it goes. I am greatly reassured by all the supportive
comments, thanks again. The carport location, luckily, is
ideal. The compost heap is right behind it (and I'll
preserve that now), with low ground cover alongside. We
sometimes see adult grassies sheltering in the car port,
so know they like it. We have also seen many youngsters
all around this area of the garden, so there must be
plenty of food around. I think the hatchlings will be
able to make their own way out, but I'll be delighted if
I get the chance to help one or two.

This summer we had a large adult residing in a hole under
a dead tree, often seen basking part in, part out, then
retreating in when disturbed. They are also fond of our
pond full of newts, although we are not quite so keen on
this since we discovered a couple of Great Cresteds in
there.

Here is my favourite photo of grassie and toad in our
garden (the rather over optimistic meal was abandoned
apparently unharmed!)



and here is an adult on the compost heap concerned



P.S. This forum editor seems to be seriously broken using
Chrome browser, so I was unable to embed the photos or
even hyperlinks. What browser can be used to do this?

P.P.S. Photos added later using Internet Explorer 8.

I'm so excited! I found this little chap today in my incubator!

To answer my own question:

"This forum editor seems to be seriously broken using
Chrome browser, so I was unable to embed the photos or
even hyperlinks. What browser can be used to do this?"

I see that IE8 worked just fine for embedding a photo.

So I have now added the photos to my earlier post.

congratulations!!!

tim