Hello all!
I had my first baby corn snake of the year hatch out yesterday and I think he hatched too early.
He still had some of his yolk and umbilical cord attached.
I put him in a small container on damp paper towels and put him back in the incubator.
As of this morning, he has absorbed all the yolk, but his naval is still very open!
Has anyone else ever had this problem?
Should I be doing anything else? Or just let it work itself out?
Unfortunately my vet is out until Tuesday.
Thank you for any advice!
-Nikki
It should work itself out, but do not put him on any substrate other than paper towel until the hole has completely closed, and keep the paper towel damp so he doesn’t stick to it. Also, don’t try to feed him until the hole has closed and offer him a smaller prey item than usual for his first meal.
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Awesome, thank you so much!
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Ok, so I could use some more advice.
The baby seems healthy and sassy, the yolk has been completely absorbed, but the naval is still wide open. The wound doesn’t look bad, but it doesn’t look like it is going to close either.
The only other baby to hatch from the clutch has the same problem, but its yolk dried and broke off outside the body and there is a small piece of umbilical cord still outside the body. I am trying to rehydrate the bit of cord and the wound… should I just continue on?
I am worried about these two as they were the only two to survive a clutch of 18.
Again, any help or advice is appreciated. This is only my third year breeding.
Thank you!
-Nikki
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Keep the paper towels hydrated and leave them alone as much as you can. There is nothing else you can really do with a neonate.
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