Hatchling Oustalet's and complications

[KaHane]

Yesterday I noticed that one of my assistant accidently left the lid of my incubating Oustalet's eggs open. By the condition of the incubation medium, it looks like it's been dry for a few days. I found almost half of the eggs shriveled up and dried. The rest I savaged and remoistened the vermiculite. I did however to my surprize found 2 that have hatched but they are very weak. I decided to transfer them to a hatchery tank with high humidity. I strange part of all this is when I opened the dessicated dried eggs, I found many of them were in different stages of development!! That is Very strange to me since the these eggs are from the same clutch laid one of my females. Anyone has any input or any thoughts on this? I really hope the 2 neonates survive and maybe more will be hatching soon. Here are some photos of the 2 babies. I will take more photos once I get them going. Wish me luck!
Thanks for looking and any feedback or advice regarding this event would be greatly appreciated.
http://www.ssnakess.com/photopost/data/502/435DSC09958.jpg
http://www.ssnakess.com/photopost/data/502/435DSC09957.jpg

[CDN-Cresties]

I have no answers to your questions but I would like to wish you good luck with those two hatchlings.

[CarlC]

KaHane,

Great babies! Trace is very jealous! She's on her way down to kidnap them.

A few thoughts on your hatching issue-

1. In the past I have run into the same issue with a few species. One thing I have found is that the more the container is opened the lower the hatch rate. In my opinion the release of the warm humid air in the container has the biggest affect. I think the shock of temp change is the factor. I have seen this in pardalis, lateralis, senegalensis, cristatus, and dilepis.

2. If the female came in gravid the nutrition provided is off. In species that are fast producing (pardalis, lateralis, oustaleti) nutrition in the earliest stages seems very important. Pre gravid health is even more important in the African species. Senegalensis, dilepis, quilensis, and gracilis.
In captivity we don't see all of the problems associated with poor nutrition while gravid. In the wild I suspect that poorly nurished females either don't make it out of the hole or die shortly after laying. In captivity we always help the females along by giving them moist dirt, plenty of water, and a good meal after laying.

3. Improper incubation. This species comes from so many varied enviorments. In some locales a very strong seasonal change is experienced. Moisture levels in some species is the trigger for development. When the level either stays the same or is changed at the wrong time in development has been known to cause problems.

Of the 25 or so species I have worked with it's always the "weedy" species that have the presented more incubation problems.

Just some thoughts.

Carl

[Collide]

Wow Good luck with those 2, it sucks that that happened. I hope they make it, do u have any more eggs on the way i know u had a few females right?

[KaHane]

Thanks for the advice Carl, Of the several species I've worked with. I've never had eggs in different stages of development. It is an extreme difference too. Some of the dried out eggs were hardly in the fetus development while others like these two are all fully formed. As for the females, I had them for quite awhile and did not recieve them gravid. So I do not think the nutrition played a roll in this. I'm thinking like you said with the incubation environment would most likely be the reason.
Collide, yes I do have more eggs incubating:)
Thanks for the replies guys.