This page used to be called "This Month" but because the updates really are few and far between I decided that a more appropriate name was necessary.

It is October now and this years breeding season is all over except for a few gecko eggs still to hatch.

We decided to cut right back on the numbers of snakes in our collection, this was mainly due to time limitations. What with a full time job with the ambulance service, a part time job with the fire brigade, four children, the dog, the cat, the ponies the herps and all the rodents, time is very limited.

A story worth telling from this year is the saga of the Jungle Carpet Pythons. These pair of snakes have been housed together since being youngsters and although no copulation was seen it was quite obvious from the females size and demeanour that she was gravid. On May 12th she laid a clutch of thirteen eggs, all of which looked healthy and these were duly incubated. After 75 days (15 or so days longer then usual) I started to get worried so made a slit in one of the eggs to check on its' viability. Everything looked fine with this egg so it was just a matter of being patient.
7 days later this snake emerged from its' egg with no ill effects. Two days later the first of the eggs "pipped" and this snake hatched in another two days. (86 days now!) I was starting to get concerned for the rest but was relieved when another two days had passed four more eggs had pipped. I was checking these
Eggs as regularly as possible, awaiting the babies emerging but after 2 more days and noticing an unpleasant smell decided to investigate.
On slitting open the pipped eggs I retrieved four stillborn babies and on checking the rest, each one was the same!!
The reason for this, I have since been told was too low an incubation temperature (84 degrees Fahrenheit the same temp that I incubate all my colubrids) causing the hatchlings to be too weak to break out of the egg.
I'm afraid that we are all still learning and despite our best efforts mistakes can be made. But I guarantee I won't be making the same one again!!

Good luck to everyone who will be breeding this year and look forward to meeting some of you at the forthcoming reptile fairs.