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Should a female snake take care of her babies, or should i use an incubator?

I have a pregnant female ball python. My question is: Once she lays her eggs should I let here take care of them, or should i buy an incubator? My second question is: can snakes properply care for eggs in a breeder rack, or do they need a long tank with a hot side and a cold side?

Public Comments

1. what do you think these snakes do when they are in the wild? bring humans so that the babies are taken care of? dont do that as it may think you are trying to hurt it and may injure you. snakes as u kno live in tunnels n human equipments like breeder racks take time for them to adjust and therefore is uncomfortable, just provide her with a tunnel like thing or in a big box put soil and everything will be ok. all the best!
2. Snakes don't take care of their babies. They lay the eggs and leave. If you want to hatch the eggs you need to put them in a place where they will get the proper heat and moisture. That's not going to happen if you just leave them in the cage.
3. Actually, pythons DO incubate their eggs. They coil around them, and even regulate their heat, to a degree. However, most breeders remove the eggs and put them in an incubator.
4. Unless something's wrong with the eggs, she'll coil around them and defend them herself. The one time one of my snakes laid eggs she was in her normal hot side/cold side tank and did just fine. If she doesn't lay them on the hot side however you will have to move them. She won't like this but as long as you use gloves to keep yourself from directly touching the eggs (and being bitten too), they should be fine.
5. Hey, this should work either way with pythons she will either coil aorund them or your can incubate them yourself. So you can choose but make sure you know what your doing and know your stuff on temperatures needed etc etc. If your going to take them on yourself try getting the right equipement, and books and as much internet research as you can to make your life and theirs a lot easier. Good Luck. P.S If you need any help try this website: http://www.kingsnake.com/ballpythonguide/
6. I always incubate mine. You'll get a better hatch rate if you incubate them yourself. For the snake to do it, temperatures and humidity levels have to be perfect. Incubators are much easier, in my opinion.