ok some im about to set up my hovabator and need some advise im gonna set up the egg box with a plastic grate so the eggs arnt siting on the medium just like maxwell and capinetto but virmiculite or perilite or a mix what do you think i did carpets in 07 with vermiculite and i had 100 percent success rate but im not always that lucky what do you think folks ? second question not relating to incubators but the egg laying, ive got my female set up in a vision with a bunch of grape vine in there and im worryed about her droping them from the tree or laying them on the tree so when i take them from her they drop i was thinking about puting her in a tub in my 32qt rack with a little perch just off the ground that way if she lays from the perch they only have a half an inch to drop but im kinda worryed the move will stress her and not lay or should i just take the grape vine out and keep her in her own cage whats everyone opinion on this thanks a ton for reading
travis johnson

First off it may be to late but If I were you I wouldnt be incubating them in a hovabator. Chondro eggs seem to be more sensitive than some other pythons and hovabators are not the best choice. I dont think it matters what the medium is. I would not move her but take out the water bowl when she is within a couple days of laying if you have it down that good. Also what I did was put a tub with the lid on and a hole cut in the top in the cage with moss in it and the female would go in there to lay. Good luck.

Yup, hovabator have a good bit of degree fluaction.....

as for the incubator than what should i use and as for the laying yes i agree im taking the water bowl out but that doesnt awnser the question about her laying in the trees, egg box in there or not gtp have a bad habit of droping them from the tree and not wanting to go to the ground to lay

You should be providing the female with a next box if she is getting close to laying. I give mine a nest box about 2 weeks prior to the projected date of laying. Most of the time they go into the box right away and stay there until laying. Sometimes coming out at night for a cruise or to get a drink.
I put dry sphagnum moss in the next box. It's a wood box about 10x10 with a hole in one side, a hinged top and a plexi front that is covered with black construction paper, so you can peek in.
I will echo the comments of others on the need for an incubator.

fwiw, few have what you call a bad habit of dropping them from the perch. Put a proper next box in a see what happens.

fwiw, few have what you call a bad habit of dropping them from the perch. Put a proper next box in a see what happens.

you mean nest box dont you... and yes im going to put in a nest box but still the people ive talked to have said they drop them from the trees sometime

And what Damon is saying is that is not very common. If your that concerned about it then take out the higher perches. Some people also lock the female in the nest box a couple days prior to laying.

Until you put in the neSt box and see how the female reacts you don't even have an idea of what she might do. You can "what if" all you want, but until you get your first clutch from a particular female, you don't know what kind of mother she is. The few that do "drop" eggs will tend to do it repeatedly and are ones that reject a nest box.

I would listen to Damon, he knows what he is talking about and is quite experienced with these animals.

My best advise would be to provide the necessities and see what happens.
To that end, here would be my questions.
What was the breeding activity like? Dates?
When was follicle swelling? When was ovulation?
Do you have pics? (are you sure it was ovulation and not just follicle swelling?)
Last shed date? (post ov. shed)
Projected lay date?
Recent activity of the female at night?
Chondros are awesome. I wish you a big clutch and easy feeders.
Remember, getting them out of the egg is only half way with chondros...
-d

here is a good incubator guide from another damon :). This type of incubation doesn't require a medium i believe. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6iPXnA3Z5tA

I cant wait until my incubator gets finished. All I need is the power supply box to push my 12v fan. Everything is easy, except for that part.

here is a good incubator guide from another damon :). This type of incubation doesn't require a medium i believe. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6iPXnA3Z5tA

Scubatim, thats one awesome incubator you setup. Cool video:wamma:

My best advise would be to provide the necessities and see what happens.
To that end, here would be my questions.
What was the breeding activity like? Dates?
When was follicle swelling? When was ovulation?
Do you have pics? (are you sure it was ovulation and not just follicle swelling?)
Last shed date? (post ov. shed)
Projected lay date?
Recent activity of the female at night?
Chondros are awesome. I wish you a big clutch and easy feeders.
Remember, getting them out of the egg is only half way with chondros...
-d

i saw them copulate dec23 but they could have breed later than that 2 i had them together untell the male lost interest she has got follicle swelling starting a few days ago, she hasnt ovulated that i can tell yet she hast shed eather so hard to say when the lay date will be and as for the activity has deffinetly been different than she normally acts seams like she doesnt want to move from the spot shes in and is starting to sit funny on the branch deffinetly not usual

and digi sorry if my reply to you sounded rude or somthing that wasnt the intention the ex wife was driving me up the wall that day and i kinda snaped im really sorry and i apreciate the help from everyone

that is typicall of follicle swelling. good sign, but you've got a ways to go.
keep introducing the male with weather patterns.
gtp's commonly reabsorb follicles if not bred enough.

about the incubator comments. DS makes an awesome on. I little overkill for me, but awesome.
about the fan, just buy a direct wire 120 from radio shack and you don't need to worry about a power supply.

here's mine: http://www.eyehit.com/degei/supportfiles/howto/inc/index.htm

simple and works great.

I remember seeing your setup on MVF. Very cool stuff! BTW still loving your program :). How is that redone snake room?

thanks for all the help she is in blue right now so i threw an egg box in there just to keep it handy and i will continue to put the male in

good luck man. the first one is the hardest. took me 2 years to get my first, once I had animals at size. love the chondros, but they drive me nuts.
Central coast CA? South of Carmel? I used to live in Sac.

im pritty sure she ovulated last night and i threw the male in and there breeding again