Hatching Black Racers??????

[jamromhem]

technically if the were hatched in your house they aren't wild caught are they? seeing as they were born in captivity at that point.

[dlgambill]

Help! I found a nest of eggs in my compost pile, and I'm pretty sure they're black snakes (is that the same as black racers?). I want the eggs to hatch, but I don't want them to hatch and then live here at the farm. Can I move the eggs into a big box to let them hatch, then relocate them to the woods? My biggest worry is keeping the temperature right for them. Also, once they hatch, when and where can I release them?

[Mom2Four]

Help! I found a nest of eggs in my compost pile, and I'm pretty sure they're black snakes (is that the same as black racers?). I want the eggs to hatch, but I don't want them to hatch and then live here at the farm. Can I move the eggs into a big box to let them hatch, then relocate them to the woods? My biggest worry is keeping the temperature right for them. Also, once they hatch, when and where can I release them?

I left mine outside, covered just like they were when the Mama laid them, as I figured she knew what she was doing. Put some of the compost in a rubber maid container, drill itsy teeny holes in the top of it, ( I used the shoe box sized container) and then cover them with a damp paper towel, and a dark t-shirt piece of cloth or a little compost or something like that.. Make sure the box stays damp but not too damp, basically mimic where they were.. Also do not place the box in direct sunlight, mine was on the front porch on a table, it got a wee bit of sun in the afternoons, but never really direct sunlight..(then the inside of the box would get too hot if it did) They box will sweat and condensate and that is ok.. You won't have to re-dampen everything as often that way..
Also, when you move the eggs, make sure you mark the tops with a sharpie or something and leave them that side up in the box, turning them over will kill the embryo inside.
Mine leaked a week or so before they hatched.. I talked to a herpetologist and found out why. The pores open if they get to moist and that is the reason for the leakage, so don't do like me and cut a slip and try to help the little bugger out. I thought they were hatching.. actually the eggs were just weeping.. If left outside at the temperature they would be in nature they do not hatch as early as incubated eggs, mine took almost 75 days.. You don't know when yours were laid, but my guess is they will probably hatch within the month, since most snake eggs hatch in August and September in the wild. You can release them as soon as they are hatched if you want. Once they started hatching mine hatched over a 5 day period, and once they slit the egg it took some of them up to 48 hours to come all the way out into the world.

Good luck, have fun, it was really an amazing event to watch..

[Mom2Four]

technically if the were hatched in your house they aren't wild caught are they? seeing as they were born in captivity at that point.

True but the TWRA officer I asked about hatching them, and the 2 that know I have them told me they would appreciate it if I let them all go.. LoL Guess they have a don't ask don't tell policy...