Early Development DIE Corn **GRAPHIC**

[RobsCornField]

About a month ago (or perhaps a bit longer), I noticed that there was an egg in my clutch of corn eggs that was getting a bit of mold on it. No problem, I separated it from the rest of the clutch in it's own container, brushed off the mold, and kept an eye on it to make sure it didn't get moldy. I checked on the egg today, and noticed that maggots were crawling out of a small hole in the shell. I assumed that the baby inside was dead, and did what any person that has a morbid fascination with biology would do: cut it open and take pictures.

That being said.

This is your last chance to turn away.



One of the interesting things I found was that the yolk had completely solidified. After I cut open the side that the maggots had been eating, it slid out in one complete mass.

http://i1262.photobucket.com/albums/ii611/RobbiesCornField/013_zpsd44ad642.jpg



Notice not only the developing eye, but the spine as well. I'm not entirely sure, but I also believe this animal may have had two fused heads. I didn't really notice until looking at the pictures, and the embryo has been discarded.

http://i1262.photobucket.com/albums/ii611/RobbiesCornField/026_zps766487c5.jpg

http://i1262.photobucket.com/albums/ii611/RobbiesCornField/025_zps2785422e.jpg

http://i1262.photobucket.com/albums/ii611/RobbiesCornField/024_zpse847a83b.jpg

http://i1262.photobucket.com/albums/ii611/RobbiesCornField/022_zps286fbc1d.jpg

http://i1262.photobucket.com/albums/ii611/RobbiesCornField/012_zpsd13b7cb6.jpg




Fortunately, the rest of the clutch is looking healthy and plump.

http://i1262.photobucket.com/albums/ii611/RobbiesCornField/029_zps44cde608.jpg

Thanks for looking!

[RandyRhoads]

Cool pictures, thanks for showing it instead of just dumping them.

[Snakefood]

that's pretty interesting!! I had (out of a summer clutch) a baby who was not DIE, but came out literally tied in a knot. And what was left of its yolk was also completely solidified.

[iBaman]

as sad as they are, I love these pictures...very fascinating.

[Gungirl]

Interesting pics.. I would have to disagree with 2 heads due to how the snake was folded in the pictures. It looks more like the tail was coming up from under the head appearing to be the second head. Almost like it was resting its chin on the end of its tail but the tail tip was pointing up. Odd...

[RobsCornField]

Thanks, everyone. I'm glad I'm not the only person who found it morbidly fascinating. Lol

Interesting pics.. I would have to disagree with 2 heads due to how the snake was folded in the pictures. It looks more like the tail was coming up from under the head appearing to be the second head. Almost like it was resting its chin on the end of its tail but the tail tip was pointing up. Odd...

I was looking at the directions the forming spine was going, and how it went "up", instead of down towards the formed head. I could be completely wrong, and more than likely am. Lol

[bolt]

What wicked pics sad about the hatchling that it could of been but these pic are intresting

[rmfsnakes32]

Your not the only one that is fasinated by it very cool that you had the stomach to do it!

[h3h]

Cool pictures, thanks for showing it instead of just dumping them.

I concur.

- h3

[mykee]

What is most disturbing about that is the fact that there were maggots present, which means at some point in the egg putrification process of that egg, you had flies come and lay eggs in or on you egg, which then became maggots.
I don't know how corn eggs are incubated, but ball eggs are kept in an airtight container for the entire incubation process.
Please elaborate.

[RobsCornField]

After I noticed the egg had started molding (and went severely rather rapidly after that), I separated it from the clutch and put it in a deli cup. I missed covering a hole in the cup, and the flies got in that way.

That being said, my incubation containers are never completely airtight. The containers I use always have a very minute gap between the lid (a millimeter or two), and it's possible a fly could have gotten in that way. The flies are not large house flies, but look like very small flies related to fruit flies. I've been incubating this way for several years, and have never had problems with it. I've even incubated in 9" deli cups before without a single egg molding, denting, or going bad (100% hatch rate, 100% feed rate).

[Skumbo]

One would believe that if a second head was forming, it would be close to, if not as far along with development in terms of seeing another set of eyes, or a kink seperating the two. Its possible it had some sort of deformity in its head which caused it to go DIE, thank you for the pictures, btw!