Rise of the Phoenix: Instances of Egg Hatching and Neonate Recovery from Deceased Squamates

Gravid reptiles are killed both deliberately and inadvertently on roads. Over the past two decades, the authors have had theopportunity to collect eggs from several female reptiles killed on roads. It is possible to hatch reptile eggs from a deceased female, but success depends heavily on several factors. The first of these is the interval of time from death to egg collection. Obviously, the sooner the eggs can be accessed, the better the chances of viability. Secondary to this is the interval of timebetween egg collection and placing the eggs in a suitable incubation container. Eggs that have spent longer than 24 hours exposed to direct sunlight are unlikely to remain viable for successful incubation.