SUMMER'S SNAKES
Specializing in Pituophis
Egg Box
This is what we use for incubation substrate for our egg boxes and how we make it up. We use a mixture of vermiculite and perlite and it has worked very well for us.
Medium
We use a mixture of Vermiculite and Perlite. Generally, you can find both of these at your local Home & Garden Center or Nursery. We recommend using a 2:1 ratio when mixing them together ie, 2 cups of Vermiculite for every 1 cup of Perlite. The Perlite allows more airflow around the eggs and keeps the water from soaking the eggs. When choosing the Vermiculite it is IMPORTANT that you do not get the kind that has any soil included. The soil can rot out the bottom of the eggs. Next you need to mix your medium with water. The standard is 50/50 by weight, not volume. The mixture should almost feel dry to the touch. A mixture that is too wet can also cause the eggs to rot. It has been our experience that the neonates absorb more yolk when kept in a dryer medium than those that are hatched from a damp or wet medium. After thoroughly mixing your medium pour it into your selected container.
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The exact Vermiculite and Perlite we use.
Container
The container you choose to use needs to be able to fit into your incubator and it also needs to be large enough to hold the eggs. I like to use 10" deli cups without holes. You could use plastic shoeboxes or something similar. I recommend filling the container up halfway with the substrate mix. We recommend that you set up your container in the incubator a few days before you expect your snake to lay her eggs. This will give the medium a chance to develop an even temperature through out. This will also allow you to double check your incubators performance since in an empty incubator the air circulation is different than when it is full. After getting to temperature in the incubator your box or cup is now ready for the eggs. It is best to make shallow depressions where the eggs will rest while incubating. We generally place them down about half way into the medium. Once a week or so we "air" out the container. Just take the lid off fan some new air in and place the lid securely back on. During the last two weeks of incubation we try to ventilate the eggs daily.