Your oppinion on a weird incubation procedure..

Dom · 02-15-04, 01:24 PM

Let me first of all say .. I keep only snakes and monitors.. this is not my field at all .. lol actually my first post ever in this forum

I bought a gravid female crested for a good firend of mine and warned her that eggs were comming.. so a few weeks later she got eggs.. I explained to her how to care for them but she did not listen ..

She incubated them in a tupperware with pappertowel.. a bit moist papper towel .. after about 45 days of incubation .. I finally convince her to switch to vermiculite..anywho .. I have no idea if these eggs are alive now (theres 4 now) .. but the two first ones are at the 65 day peried and still look good althoguh .. supposably .. the bottom of the eggs is leaking some of the yolk . I am guessing its from being on the paper towel or I seriously doubt it but maybe hatching..

I really don't know what else to tell her but LEAVE em alone..

Anywho .. what are your thoughs.. I though they were one of the easiest thing to incubate.. I guess it was too hard for her lol Not sure excacly on incubation time and all so let me know ure oppinions.

Tx Dom

D Healey · 02-15-04, 07:22 PM

They could still be good as sometimes the eggs can leak a bit prior to hatchingbut vermiculit or purlite are the way to go.

reptilesalonica · 02-15-04, 07:37 PM

Papertowell can not enfold firmly the eggs like moisten (not wet) vermiculite or perlite does.
The trick here is, eggs must surounded by a material that lets air circulation (in a very small amount) like those materials can do (and they do it realy good). Why we must do what we THINK is ok and not listen people that have devote their life breeding reptiles?
In the end these are lifes that will going to hatch and see the new world. Let's help them the way we can better.
~Greg~

Dom · 02-15-04, 07:46 PM

How long should u wait .. after such happens.. or simply leave em alone?

reptilesalonica · 02-15-04, 08:09 PM

Well, depending the temps...someone can wait...forever

I should advice you to wait longer than the possible time of hatch...much longer...
In other words until the eggs get realy bad or get mold
The key to succeful breeding of reptiles is...patience

~Greg~

AnthonyC · 02-16-04, 05:32 PM

Ciliatus eggs can leak prior to being pipped, but once the gecko has actually pipped the egg, you'll see some slits in the egg shell. At that point, I wouldn't wait more than a few hours. In fact, I would probably make a large incision in the egg so that the gecko can get out as soon as it's ready. Otherwise, the gecko could drown in the egg.

dj_honeycuts · 02-19-04, 02:47 PM

I've both read and heard that ciliatus eggs can take about 60-80 days to hatch, with the longest incubations times reaching upwards of 90-100 days. I've found with just about all of the different geckos i've bred that by the 1 1/2 month mark you can see the developing embryo when you candle it, and if this is the case tell her to leave the egg alone. If the embryo dies while developing the egg will genereally turn dark or look like it has blood spots. I find that usually the fluid that leaks after the egg is pipped is clear or slightly opaque. If it looks like yoke, it's probably not a good sign.

Naughty Nat · 02-24-04, 12:48 AM

I totally agree with all the comments and the most important one is to leave the egg alone. It really doesn't take much for a gecko to hatch and it simply needs to be left alone and make sure there's humidity. I'm sure your friend's eggs will make it out just fine.