Sooo I just got my first ever ball python eggs and I’m over the moon about it! Six pearly whites with pretty good veins. However, they’re just a little bit dessicated- not enough that I’m scared they won’t hatch, but enough I’m a little worried. They’re about one and a half weeks old now, and haven’t bounced back. Freyja is already slamming medium rats and acting fine, so I’m not worried about her at all, just the eggs.
Should I add a hydrometer to make sure the humidity is up enough? Should I add moss or something to help them out? These are my first eggs and I feel like an overprotective parent
Obligatory snake and egg pics! Freyja, pastel lesser calico, paired with Jupiter, fire
You definitely want to know what the humidity and temps are at. But if that’s the eggs currently, they look good. Not every egg will be perfectly round or white.
I would definitely get a digital combo thermometer/hygrometer. Govee is a very popular brand these days. They even have WiFi enabled models that you can monitor temps and humidity using their phone app. You want to shoot for 87-89 ambient temps inside your egg box and 100% humidity.
I would put enough water in the perlite so you can see the water level and make sure it’s well below the bottom of the eggs. You do NOT want the eggs touching standing water.
Many people use Glad® Press’n Seal® Food Wrap. It does an excellent job of keeping the humidity up. If you’re going to use that stuff, I would add two small holes to the egg box to allow some air exchange. The eggs do actually breathe to a small degree. Some folks peel back some of the Press’n Seal the last 1-2 weeks to allow additional air exchange. If you have too much air exchange it’ll be tough to keep the correct temps and humidity. It’s a balance.
Congratulations on your first clutch and a healthy mama! That’s a wonderful feeling.
Your eggs look decent. As others as have said, a way to monitor humidity would be helpful. You asked about moss. That’s another possible way to keep up the humidity. You can put a light covering or “lid” of damp sphagnum moss over the eggs if you want. This will help keep their humidity level up and allow for oxygen exchange. If you do this, soak the moss for an hour or two in water without chlorine and squeeze lightly by handfuls until it’s damp but not dripping. I’m not sure of your incubation setup, but if you have a way to place the moss in the incubator (maybe in a bag or dish) and allow it to come to the same temperature as the eggs before you actually put it on them, that’s ideal. You don’t want to create any temperature shock.
