Found a Nest

[dlgambill]

I have found a nest of (I think) black snake eggs down in the middle of my compost pile. I covered them back up, but I need them to not hatch and live here at the farm. Can I move the nest into a container of some sort, and relocate them after they hatch? My biggest concern is keeping them the right temperature. Help!

[Snakers]

where do you live?

[Didymus20X6]

You might be interested in THIS THREAD (http://www.thamnophis.com/forum/garter-snake-lounge/5496-black-racer-her-eggs-pics.html).

If you do transfer them, make sure you do not tip the eggs. Hold them exactly the same orientation as they are laid. More than that, I can't say.

[dlgambill]

I found the Mom2Four thread about the racers when I Googled looking for help with my nest. I hope I can do as well with the eggs I found.

I live in southern Missouri. The local conservation guys told me yesterday I can move compost and eggs together out into the woods somewhere, just be sure to keep the sun exposure the same. Also suggested I could put the eggs with a big scoop of compost in a rubbermaid container and let them hatch, then release them somewhere. As far as the hatchlings hanging out around the farm, they didn't think the parents would let them do that (territory too full, I guess), so I could just let them hatch where they are, and they'll disperse on their own.

I knew to keep the eggs upright, just like when I move chicken eggs that have been incubating. My biggest worry with moving them at all is I'll mess up the temperature, and they'll all die. Anyone know how tempermental the eggs are at this stage? They're pretty far along in their development -- not alot of placenta left in the shell, fully formed little snakes inside (I sacrificed one egg to curiosity/science).

[Mom2Four]

This is what worked for me..

I left mine outside, covered just like they were when the Mama laid them, as I figured she knew what she was doing. Put some of the compost in a rubber maid container, drill itsy teeny holes in the top of it, ( I used the shoe box sized container) and then cover them with a damp paper towel, and a dark t-shirt piece of cloth or a little compost or something like that.. Make sure the box stays damp but not too damp, basically mimic where they were.. Also do not place the box in direct sunlight, mine was on the front porch on a table, it got a wee bit of sun in the afternoons, but never really direct sunlight..(then the inside of the box would get too hot if it did) They box will sweat and condensate and that is ok.. You won't have to re-dampen everything as often that way..
Also, when you move the eggs, make sure you mark the tops with a sharpie or something and leave them that side up in the box, turning them over will kill the embryo inside.
Mine leaked a week or so before they hatched.. I talked to a herpetologist and found out why. The pores open if they get to moist and that is the reason for the leakage, so don't do like me and cut a slip and try to help the little bugger out. http://www.thamnophis.com/forum/../images/smilies/confused.gif I thought they were hatching.. actually the eggs were just weeping.. If left outside at the temperature they would be in nature they do not hatch as early as incubated eggs, mine took almost 75 days.. You don't know when yours were laid, but my guess is they will probably hatch within the month, since most snake eggs hatch in August and September in the wild. You can release them as soon as they are hatched if you want. Once they started hatching mine hatched over a 5 day period, and once they slit the egg it took some of them up to 48 hours to come all the way out into the world.

Good luck, have fun, it was really an amazing event to watch..

[Didymus20X6]

Where at in Missouri? I went to school in Clayton.

[dlgambill]

Okay, I've moved the eggs with compost into a big plastic trash can, and I'm awaiting the big hatch! There were about 15 eggs, buried a good six inches down in the compost pile. Thanks so much for the advise. Days are getting a little cooler down here in Springfield, so I'm hoping within a couple weeks they'll be out.

[mtolypetsupply]

dlg, those snakes might actually be a good thing at your farm. Any vermin won't stand a chance with an "attack squad" of snakes. Your grain will be safe, your hay won't have mouse droppings, and the barn cats will get a day off. :)

good job on the save and move. best of luck to you and your new babies! (Yes, they will be so cute when they hatch, I bet that even if you don't keep one, you'll pick a favorite and he will get a name!)

:)

[dlgambill]

I don't mind the snakes, except they tend to eat my eggs and small chicks. Last Spring I had 5 peacock eggs under a hen, and in one night they were gone. I even had the hen in a cage with 2"x4" wire! I found the very big black snake several nights later, and moved it to a Conservation area. (BTW, black snake bites hurt, but in my case are not fatal.)

[dlgambill]

I'm getting a little concerned about my eggs. I check them every 3-4 days, and they're not as "plump" as they were when I first found them. Some of them look like they're deflating, they have a concave dimple in them like a basketball that's lost some of it's air. I'm wondering if they're dehydrating. Do I need to get them out of the compost and put them under a heat lamp with a damp towel on them? Any ideas?

[dlgambill]

Oh, and BTW, I finally caught a really big black snake last night in my chicken house. I'd been raising up 3 chicks a friend gave me, and had lost two of them -- one while they were still in their cage (I honestly think the little thing got scared to death), and the other a week later after I thought they were big enough to be safe, but evidently not, because I came in one morning and she was gone. So I've been looking, and last night I found the lovely reptile curled up in the eave. I put a trash can on the floor under her, and in one swift move used a hoe to yank her off the ledge and into the can. Whew! I don't know whose heart was racing faster, her's or mine. Anyway, she went to live about 2 miles down the road, across a river and a creek. Hopefully that was far enough! My gosh she was mad when I dumped her out of the trash can. She laid there coiled up with her mouth open so far I could see down to her tail. Quite the show.

[count dewclaw]

It sounds like the compost is drying out too much, try to moisten it carefully. Try adding some water around the edge of the container, not right next to the eggs, and let the water work its way into all the compost. Add a little at a time so that you don't add too much water. Is the trash can covered? If not, you might want to put a loose fitting lid over the top (once the compost is remoistened) to slow the evaporation. Hope that helps.

[dlgambill]

Okay, I'll do that this morning. Thanks.