These eggs were dug up in late May/early June , placed into a cardboard box and rolled around and examined for a few days, then placed into a ten-gallon with some dirt in the bottom of it, and eventually brought to me. Due to the number and size of them and their round shape, we guessed that they were slider turtle eggs. After having done some research on hatching out leopard gecko eggs, and knowing how much handling and moving around they had already been through, I didn't expect much. However, when I candled them, all but one glowed pink, and they were growing. I kept them in my nature display for the kids all summer. After about two weeks, they began to dent. I put four of them into vermiculite/water at the recommended ratio for leos. The others, I buried half of them completely, and the other half only half way, and put damp sphagnum moss on top of them. Then I put a large piece of bark over the top of them, and every couple days sprayed the tank with a spray bottle. All but one egg plumped back up quite nicely, and so I had hope that we hadn't killed them off completely.

After a full 2 1/2 months, nothing seemed to be happening. Camp was over, so I needed to move them and brought them home. Our little nature area kept a fairly stable temperature, but here at home the temps will change a lot from day to night. I finally decided to put them all into the vermiculite container and into the incubator at 81-82. When I uncovered them to move them, a few of them (3) started spurting egg white. I was sure that I had killed them. Maybe I killed them long ago, and the shell had just been deteriorating, or maybe me touching it is what killed it. Anyhow, I tried to block the spurting egg white and covered it with vermiculite and went ahead and put all the eggs together into the incubator. With so many of them in such a small space, I've been opening it every other day to give them an oxygen exchange. This morning, I opened it up and found this!





Now, I have two hatched out completely, one with it's head sticking out, and about five (I think) that are leaking!

Here are a few more of the pics I've been taking























Based on the little paragraph I read in the audubon reptile and amphibian field guide, I believe that they are a racer snake. The eggs feel kind of like rough-grade sand paper. The little ones are grey with black spots. They strike multiple times if you try to grab them, and vibrate their tails to try to scare you away. They are close to 12 inches long.

Incubation for these guys was at least 11 weeks instead of the 6-9 weeks listed in the book.

What do you all think?

Whoot!
I knew you would eventually get a snake! I just didn't think this is the way you would go about it frankly. What a fantastic thing you've done for the little guys.
Are you going to keep one? I would!! What is the big plan for them? Get them feeding and then back off to where the eggs were found? Really, keep one! Oh, you have shopping to do, the little fellas will need a yummy pinky after they shed. Hehehe, I love this, I think it's great!!!!
Not sure what they are, my guess would be rat snakes though

I'll take 2 please. How much for shipping? lol. Very cool story!

They look like rats to me too but I'm not 100%. Very interesting story though...you'll have to keep us updated.

lol Clem, I thought of you when I opened the egg container.

Only three of the eggs have hatched so far. The five that leaked haven't done anything else. I hope that they are okay. I wonder if I watched too long yesterday, and they got too dried out to hatch. I put moss on them and put them back into the incubator overnight, and this morning the shells felt softer than they did last night, so hopefully I haven't killed them by observation. The third one didn't come out until after I had closed everything up for the night.

I haven't decided whether or not to keep one yet. I'll probably take one to my cousin's school today, and let the kids there experience a snake next week after which she will let it go.

I think that they are racers, but if you know of some hatchling black snake pics, I would be glad to take a look and compare! Their size, behavior, and egg texture all seem to fit the description of the racer snake. The description of the rat snake in the book is not nearly as detailed, but the details it lists could fit these guys as well. The incubation period of black snakes actually fits these guys better; but exactly what shape is oblong? These appeared to me to be very round until right before they hatched. Then they started getting odd shaped bumps here and there.

According to the book, racers eat large insects (I think I can manage that), frogs, lizards, snakes, small rodents, and birds (not so sure about those). I put five 3/8 crickets and five tiny-small discoids in their tank. With all the hiding places and such a large tank, I don't know if it is possible to know for sure that they have been eaten.

Rat snakes don't have insects on their food list, so maybe I should pick up a few pinkies for them just in case.

So what do you do to get a baby snake to eat? How soon after they hatch should they get interested in food? So far,their biggest concern seems to be getting out!

I really don't know what kind of tank to set up for them, or what temps are ideal for them. I've got Boo's old small heating pad, and a lamp dimmer switch that I could use.

The tank that they are in right now is 12x36x18. I have paper towel on the floor, two trays; one with sphagnum moss, and one with wood chips. I also have a couple sticks in there for them to climb on (which they have done nothing with)and empty containers scattered all over, on the floor and in the trays for them to hide in or under. Right now, one is hiding under a lid on the sphagnum moss; the other two are between the edge of the tank and the tray that has the sphagnum moss.

Anything I should do to make a short term home better suited to meet their needs? What adjustments should be made to give one of them a long term home?

The location where the eggs were found is not suitable for babies, due to some major construction being done over there. I'll probably release them in various places around camp, and away from the construction areas. Or I might end up giving them to the guy who brought me the eggs to release. If they are black snakes, he'll be really really excited. He was hoping for black snakes.

After poking around some more I think you are right, they are black racers. They probably won't eat until after their first shed. Since the eggs were found locally try to mimic your area's temps as best you can, providing a gradient of course ;) Make sure they seem to be feeding well before you release them, give them a fighting chance in the big world out there. It seems like you have them set up pretty well for right now though.
I still think you should keep one for yourself. LOL

I've been poking around on my cousin's fast computer, looking at all sorts of baby black snakes and baby racers. I'm pretty well convinced that they are racers as well. Thanks for checking on them and for your advise. When my computer recovers from it's photo overload, I'll try to put up some more photos. It may be a while though. My camera has been busy this summer!

now thats cool!
you should keep one!

They are racers no doubt. That is so cool!

Yay! I didn't kill the eggs. I got back from my cousin's Sat night, and seven more had hatched, so now I have ten baby racer snakes!

One egg is still sitting in the incubator waiting. It never leaked or anything. I guess I'll let it keep incubating for a while and see if anything happens. Any suggestions for how long I should keep it before giving up?

They haven't shed yet, and they haven't eaten a cricket or discoid yet. I suppose that when one sheds, I will find it's skin in the tank (unlike the leos) and hopefully then they will eat for me. What should be the average time between hatching and their first shed?

They aren't using the hides I made for them at all. They are piling up between the big plastic container and the edge of the tank, or crawling underneath the paper towel, or hiding among the sphagnum moss. Wherever they hide, they seem to all want to hang out in a pile! They also seem to like to crawl along the sticks that I put in their tank. So I took out most of the hides I had in there, and left them a sphagnum moss third with some plastic lids to hide underneath (they did use those hides) the big plastic container with insects in it in the middle, and the sticks on the far end. I also put a uva light on one end on a timer today. As soon as I turned on the light, they all came over to sit in their new sunshine. Later, I took the spray bottle, and misted the sphagnum moss, and one of the little snakes began drinking water off of the lids. I watched the water disappear!

Their warm end got quite warm during the day. Should they move to a cooler place if they get too hot, or might they accidentally bake themselves? I haven't taken the thermometer outdoors to take the temperature of a large flat rock or stick in the sun, but I know it can get quite hot here.

I did see a little sibling rivalry with two of them striking at each other this afternoon. I don't know whether this was a dominance issue, or whether someone was starting to feel hungry. Am I going to need to separate them? If I do, then I think I'll have to let them go without getting them feeding first.

When they start feeding (it sounds like they primarily eat insects when they are small) will I see a small lump in their belly where they ate, or would an insect be small enough and digest quickly enough that it wouldn't show up?

I got each of them out this afternoon and took individual pics of them, and the last one surprised me by striking at me while I was holding it. It didn't really hurt, but it did surprise me. They usually only strike occasionally when I'm trying to catch them.

I'm thinking that asap I need to pick up one of the tanks I used this summer with the kids at camp, and clean it up, and finish up a couple lids for it so that I can have real lids on the tank for these guys.

The eleventh egg started leaking this afternoon, so it looks like the last little one is trying to work her way out. She sure is taking her time! I think that a couple of the little hatchlings are getting ready for their shed. Their eyes are looking blue/grey instead of normal.

I also think that they are getting use to me. The are not striking at me every time I reach my hand into their tank.

awesome! ur so lucky, u know that :D

Two babies shed today!

I also moved them into the 12x48 tank this evening.

Now to get them to eating.

That last egg still hasn't hatched :(

Aww...poor little last egg...but congrats on the two sheds.

Where are the pictures? hahahahaha