Naja melanoleuca eggs

Subject: Naja melanoleuca eggs 25/11/2011, 16:04

Hi there,

As a few of you know it, I've had eggs of N.melanoleuca on the 11.09.2011. My question concerns the incubation time of these. I've been reading different things from 90 up to more than a 100 days of incubation for these. Does anyone had some experience with incubating the eggs of this wonderful specie?

The temperature of my incubator is between 27-28c with more than 90% humidity.

Thanks a lot for your answers.

LucasC.

Subject: Re: Naja melanoleuca eggs 26/11/2011, 23:43

Lucas Carretero wrote:

Hi there,

As a few of you know it, I've had eggs of N.melanoleuca on the 11.09.2011. My question concerns the incubation time of these. I've been reading different things from 90 up to more than a 100 days of incubation for these. Does anyone had some experience with incubating the eggs of this wonderful specie?

The temperature of my incubator is between 27-28c with more than 90% humidity.

Thanks a lot for your answers.

LucasC.

Hi Lucas,

I owning a pair of Naja melanoleuca also. My pair originated from Uganda, East-Africa. I'm planning to breed them in 2012. In order for prepairing this, I've gathered some information on this mather, that I'm happely share with you. The following I've retreived from the book Schlangen im Terrarium - Band 2, Giftschlangen from the German author Ludwig Trutnau, who kept and breeded this species for years. I hope this prooves to be helpfull for you.

He states that the general incubation period of N. melanoleuca eggs is 70-80 days, below I list his personal experiences for incubating the eggs.

1. May 20th, 1975:

Clutchsize: 11 eggs (two eggs perished soon after laying, exact timelapse not stated by author)

Incubation method: Plastic box, with moist forrest substrat as medium. He covered the eggs almost completely in this substrat.

Incubation temperature: Between 25 and 30C°

Incubation humidity: Not stated by author

Incubation period in days,
from laying to hatching: about 79 days

Incubation ratio: Nine young hatched from the nine 9 remaining eggs

Other information: The young measuring from 35 cm to 40cm. Postnatal shedding was occuring about ten days after hatching.

2. October 19th, 1983:

Clutchsize: 13 eggs (again, two eggs perished soon after laying, exact timelapse not stated by author)

Incubation method: Plastic box, with lava substrat as medium.

Incubation temperature: between 23 and 27C°

Incubation humidity: Not stated by author

Incubation period in days,
from laying to hatching: about 103 to 104 days* (!) see below in "Other information"

Incubation ratio: Twelve young hatched from the 11 remaining eggs, one egg obviously contained "twin embryos" another young, from one of the other eggs, died soon after hatching.

Other information: the "twins" where about 8 cm shorter than there siblings. Postnatal shedding was about ten days after hatching. * when after about 90 days, still no sign of shedding was to be seen, the author increized the incubation temp. from 23-27C° to 29-31C° by moving the clutch into a warmer bird egg incubator.

On my personal opinion, a incubation temperature of 29-31C° with a humidety of 80-90% is the best way to go for most African oviparous snakes, because they have the tendancy to lay there eggs in termite hills and thats the temp/humid overall condition inside such a termite hill.

Regards Tom...

Subject: Re: Naja melanoleuca eggs 27/11/2011, 00:56

Hi there Tom,

Thanks a lot. I've been reading this book on and on. But there is quite a difference between what can to be read there and some other infos I've had.

I'm now with 76 days of incubation. The eggs still look good. Should I let them a bit more, should I incise to see what's happening? That's my next question. Should I get worried that's there's been no sign, as for N.annulifera, there were alread all hatched on this time?

thanks a lot.

Regards
LucasC.

Subject: Re: Naja melanoleuca eggs 27/11/2011, 02:40

Lucas Carretero wrote:

Hi there Tom,

Thanks a lot. I've been reading this book on and on. But there is quite a difference between what can to be read there and some other infos I've had.

I'm now with 76 days of incubation. The eggs still look good. Should I let them a bit more, should I incise to see what's happening? That's my next question. Should I get worried that's there's been no sign, as for N.annulifera, there were alread all hatched on this time?

thanks a lot.

Regards
LucasC.

This is what I would do, and I emphasize “what I would do” if on the eightieth day, nothing hatched by then, that’s carefully holding a small flashlight against the eggs, for lighting up the inside of the egg so you can see if something is developing or even moving inside, and slightly increasing the incubation temperature to 29-31C°. Do you know how old you’re parent animals are and do you have a picture of the eggs?

These are some other written statements I could get my hands on.

Thieme's Terrariumgids (translated from Dutch to English): ...Gestation takes little over two months... (Not very helpful)

A Complete Guide to the Snakes of Southern Africa: ...Captive specimens lay eggs in November/December, which hatch in Februari...

http://elapidae.nl/N_melanoleuca.php : (A very nice website, from Richard Mastenbroek) ...on a temperature of 27 - 30C, the eggs will hatch after 55 - 70 days. I keep the humidity level on about 70 - 80 % by spraying the eggs every now and than...

Regards... Tom

Subject: Finally! 29/11/2011, 22:24

After 79 days of incubation, take a look what's happening in my incubator....

Two of them (on four) are looking on their beginning life...

This is my biggest result in breeding my Najas today. Not that this specie is rare, but it was an objective I had...

Greetings.

Subject: Re: Naja melanoleuca eggs 29/11/2011, 22:53

Congratulations! Very nice species Smile

Subject: Re: Naja melanoleuca eggs 29/11/2011, 23:26

congratz!

Subject: Re: Naja melanoleuca eggs 30/11/2011, 02:43

Take good care on them Smile

Very nice , congratulations.

Subject: Re: Naja melanoleuca eggs 30/11/2011, 03:13

Good job!

I hope that you and the new snakes are very happy!

Subject: Re: Naja melanoleuca eggs 30/11/2011, 15:23

Thanks at all. I'll post soon the pictures of the offspring.

Regards

Subject: Re: Naja melanoleuca eggs 30/11/2011, 15:26

Congratulations Very Happy

Subject: Re: Naja melanoleuca eggs 30/11/2011, 21:11

Congratulations! How many did you hatch ? whats the price for the young ones ? Do you have pictures of your adults ?

Subject: Re: Naja melanoleuca eggs 30/11/2011, 21:26

Hi there,

Thanks. The picture of the adults are on this forum. I've posted some of them. The youngsters are not for sale this year. I'm keeping them as holdback. There are 4 of them.

Regards.

Subject: Re: Naja melanoleuca eggs 1/12/2011, 17:12

Congratulation Wink

Subject: Re: Naja melanoleuca eggs 3/12/2011, 02:32

Hi there,

Finally, 4/4 are out!

A bit more pictures:

Subject: Re: Naja melanoleuca eggs 3/12/2011, 02:58

way to beautifull!!!
I just love this species.
congrats with the little ones Very Happy

Subject: Re: Naja melanoleuca eggs 3/12/2011, 03:07

Hey ami

Gratulation for these beautyfull youngsters! A long dream comes true!

See you soon

Lukas

Subject: Re: Naja melanoleuca eggs 3/12/2011, 04:04

Awesome and congrats! I'm looking to breed my South African forest cobras this coming year. Hopefully I'll be successful with that. How many eggs were laid? I saw you mention four were hatching but figured that it was probably more that were laid.
Jamie

Subject: Re: Naja melanoleuca eggs 3/12/2011, 15:16

Hi there,

Lukas, Thank you for the compliment! Effectively, a dream has come true!

Jamie, there were 7 eggs. 2 were unfertile, one I had to got rid with, because he turned out, I didn't wanted to geopardy the whole clutch.

Subject: Re: Naja melanoleuca eggs 3/12/2011, 18:03

Hi Lucas,

Very nice!!! I'm gladd it turned out well for you! Succes with the newborns.... Smile

Subject: Re: Naja melanoleuca eggs 3/12/2011, 18:14

Very, very beautiful. Smile

Subject: Re: Naja melanoleuca eggs 28/1/2012, 04:01

very nice cobras.
i love them a lot.
about 5 years ago i got a couple of naja melanoleuca subvulva.
nice snakes but crazy motherfuckers.

Subject: Re: Naja melanoleuca eggs 28/1/2012, 05:29

congratulations Mr Lucas, how are the babys doing?? wish you a lot of succes withthem. reggards

» The first round of eggs in the pigeon breeding cycle
» Naja melanoleuca eggs
» Naja melanoleuca subfulva
» Some Gaping pictures of a Naja melanoleuca
» Forest Cobra (Naja melanoleuca) hatchlings.

Naja melanoleuca eggs

Naja melanoleuca eggs

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