Gravid Jungle Help?

[bundysnake]

Just got a few questions if someone can help?
This will be my first season breeding any type of python now my female was cooled and put with a male, she had a pre lay slough on the 27/08/09.

Now i have built a incubator out of a old fridge and ran heat cord all through it and plugged it into a dimming thermostat at the moment i have it set on 30.5deg and its maintaining a quite stable temp. I have vermiculite ready to go into a sistema tub inside the incubator when she lays, do i need airholes in the tub?

Now do i need to put anything inside her enclosure when i expect her to lay? (sphagnum moss?)

Also when she lays and i try to get the eggs out of her enclosure will she be defensive and try to strike at me? Or should i use a hook?

Cheers,
Bundy

 

[bundysnake]

i will get some photo's of the incubator soon, but i just checked it and the temp was 28.4 (which is the lowest ive seen it 30.5deg being the highest), do i need more heating power in the incubator to maintain a stable temp?

Currently i have 130watts of heat cord.

 

[Mr.James]

130W!! How big is the fridge?

Was it a cold night inside the house? Just my opinion but from what I understand using bulbs are much better as a heat source (a few of them at low wattage), that way you can see exactly whats working & they provide a different heat which spreads out...my opinion.

Also where are you taking these temps from?

 

[bundysnake]

I'm taking the temps from inside the sistema tub inside the incubator.

The thermostat is a Australian Reptiles Dimming Thermostat.

So i should just buy some screw sockets and a few light bulbs?

I'm in brisbane so it doesn't get too cold at all, the incubator is in the garage though.

 

[bundysnake]

the fridge is around 300Litre

 

[Helikaon]

i use heat cord and it works fine, if you stick it to the sides of the incubator it will give a more even heat then ligh bulbs in my opinion. you dont need holes in the tub, jsut air it out once every couple of days. and watch the eggs to make sure all is well. give her a layign tub, i jsut use a tub with a big enough whole for her to get in and put moist spag moss in there. works fine. you should be epecting eggs pretty soon. and you should get soemone to help you get her off the eggs, easier that way so that none get damaged they are not usually very defensive. then give her enclsorue a clean out so she doesnt keep thinking she has eggs.

 

[Colin]

Be careful uncoiling her from her eggs as females usually always hook their tails underneath the clutch and if you dont unhook it may tip the eggs over and damage them. Its probably best to have someone help you with one person holding the head so she doesnt bite and the other one uncoiling her from the egg pile and unhooking the tail.

 

[bundysnake]

Hmm ok i have installed 4 x 40watt party lights and the temps seem quite stable now

Is 30.5 the temp i should be aiming for with jungle eggs?

So is she going to wanna bite me when i try to get her off the eggs? (how do i prevent getting bitten?)

I understand i need to keep the eggs upright when getting the off her.

I will post a pic of the enclosure and the incubator, could i possibly put sphagnum moss in the hide rock i have in her enclosure?

I went to bunnings the other day but couldn't find any sphagnum moss, where does everyone get it?

 

[bundysnake]

Also at what stage should i throw some sphagnum moss in there?

 

[bundysnake]

Here are some photos of the incubator and the jungles enclosure.

 

[bundysnake]

can anyone help me out with the above questions?

 

[bundysnake]

Hmm ok i have installed 4 x 40watt party lights and the temps seem quite stable now

Is 30.5 the temp i should be aiming for with jungle eggs?

So is she going to wanna bite me when i try to get her off the eggs? (how do i prevent getting bitten?)

I understand i need to keep the eggs upright when getting the off her.

I will post a pic of the enclosure and the incubator, could i possibly put sphagnum moss in the hide rock i have in her enclosure?

I went to bunnings the other day but couldn't find any sphagnum moss, where does everyone get it?

Also at what stage should i throw some sphagnum moss in there?

 

[beeman]

Hmm ok i have installed 4 x 40watt party lights and the temps seem quite stable now

Is 30.5 the temp i should be aiming for with jungle eggs?

So is she going to wanna bite me when i try to get her off the eggs? (how do i prevent getting bitten?)

I understand i need to keep the eggs upright when getting the off her.

I will post a pic of the enclosure and the incubator, could i possibly put sphagnum moss in the hide rock i have in her enclosure?

I went to bunnings the other day but couldn't find any sphagnum moss, where does everyone get it?

Also at what stage should i throw some sphagnum moss in there?

We run our temp at 31.5
yes she may try to bite you god knows ours do LOL
You need to try and maintain the eggs in the same position as they are, But i dont think its perticularly crutial until incubation has started, We had one female that was very uncooprative last year and scattered the eggs everywhere when we removed her and every egg hatched.
Get rid of the hide rock and give her a box to lay in it wil be easier to deal with.
We find they lay just as well in layers of newspaper so dont use sphagnum moss that much

 

[bundysnake]

Thankyou your reply is much appreciated. I will up the temp to 31deg.

Does it matter if the box is clear?

She had a pre lay slough on the 27/08/09 when should i put the box and sphagnum moss in there?

So when she has the eggs, do i just lift the box off and grab her head to prevent getting bitten??

 

[candycaine]

ok you can ether use a plastic tub that is big anough for her to loosly uncoil her self, allow it to have some depth and half fill it with the moss make sure its not too wet, put the lid on and make a hole so she can get in and out of it. the other is you can make a wooder box with some depth and same as tub make a hole up the top so she can get in and out, and same put news paper on the bottom and the moss half full.

you should of had the hide in there quite some time ago so she could get used to it, so put it in asap otherwise you could get her laying in the log or somewhere hard to get to.

easiest way the get them off eggs is wait till she is in the middle of laying and remove each egg singular or grab her head first wile having someone to uncoil her off of the egg. remove the sluggs as soon as you have gotten the eggs. dont be surprised if we doesn't eat for a month or 2 exspecially if her hide and enclosure hasn't been cleaned properly. the eggs are alot stronger then you might think so don't be affraid to seperate them if there still fresh layed and a little sticky.

and good luch the stress really begins wonce they hit the incubator.