The Stimson's python is a popular pet snake native to Australia
A Stimson's python (Antaresia stimsoni) has successfully hatched at the Gold Coast Pet Centre in Burleigh Heads, Queensland Australia, seemingly against the odds after an egg handling mishap late last year. In November 2013, one of the store's python's laid a clutch of six eggs, all of which were placed into an incubator. One of the eggs was deemed infertile, and in the process of removing the egg from the incubator, an egg that was attached to it ripped, causing a small hole in the egg.
Photo by Michelle Marks
The egg at 30 days, the point at which it was ruptured.
Michelle Marks, the store's reptile specialist decided to try and save the egg, creating what she called a humidicrib, which enabled her to monitor and control both the temperature and the humidity in an effort to prevent the egg from drying out. This involved elevating the egg and suspending it in the air to keep the amniotic fluid from draining out of the egg and drying it out. This was apparently a long and painstaking process that also involved keeping the veins on the inside of the egg shell undisturbed.
Photo by Michelle Marks
The egg at 57 days in the humidicrib. We are able to see the development of the baby inside the egg and we also observe movement.
Marks' efforts paid off as the baby python successfully came out of its egg January 13 with no known issues. “People might say, ‘It was just one egg’, but every egg deserves a shot,” said Marks. “That bit of effort now means absolutely everything to that little snake.”
Photo by Michelle Marks
On day 60 the baby python emerges with no apparent problems.
The Stimson's python is a popular pet snake native to Australia. Also known as the large-blotched python, it grows to a little more than three feet in length. In the wild, the snake feeds on small lizards, frogs, and mammals.
