hatching my leo gecko eggs

[TribalGecko]

Hi, I have a question about my first time breeding experience. I have a colony of leos, 4 females and 1 male. I have raised them up from babies but they are all from different parents. The females started laying eggs a couple months ago so 8 eggs were laid in all, a pair of eggs from each one. The first pair laid where duds, the second pair laid hatched two weeks ago with one healthy one and one with NO EYES! (I am not sure if he can learn to hunt or not, we are trying very hard with him) The 3rd set were fertile but when they went past the hatch date I opened them and they had died about half way through their incubation time, both of them at the same size and stage, the 4th set are duds. Meanwhile the first couple females laid more so we are starting on a second clutch for them which are due at the end of July. They candle blood red.

My question is, what could have happened to cause the blindness and death in those babies?

The incubator is the typical 10 gal set up with aquarium heater in water, 100% humidity, moist vermiculite (not dripping wet) and I check the eggs daily. The thermomiter we have in the vermiculite reads 88 degrees at all times.

Also the geckos have stopped all mating action. Will they resume or are they done for the season?

Thanx for info!!

[scott hough]

take a look at some posts in the leo gecko forum. perhaps the current discussion on deformities could shed some light on your situation.

http://ssnakess.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=17109

[TribalGecko]

Excellent information there! I think I learned what I need to know. The incubator must have become unstable at one point, hope the 4 remaining eggs are okay. Thanks for posting that link for me!

[Tim and Julie B]

Try reducing the temperature slowly to about 82-83 degrees. It will take longer to hatch(maybe 5-8 days more) but you'll probably get better results. With all this line-breeding and stuff it seems that the risk of deformity has increased, or perhaps people are rushing the incubation or something. I just know that I am not going to try the Tremper method EVER again.(Youkai brought it up in the Eublepharis macularis forum-check it out)

[JeffT]

hmmm, are you sure they are all from different parents?? Some weiiiird things can happen with inbreeding.

[TribalGecko]

Well I can't be positive but they were chosen from two separate lots of over 50 babies, 2 weeks apart. I can't imagine the odds of them being from the same parents.