My Schneider's skink laid two eggs on Monday. I was expecting them, so I carefully put them into a container with moist vermiculite and set up the incubator. But then today I thought that I was pretty thoughtless to use the exact same vermiculite in the exact same cup that I used last year to hatch out babies. That vermiculite would surely have some remnants of organic matter from when the other lizards hatch out and attract bacteria! DOH! That worried me to no end today so I carefully transferred the eggs to a clean container with fresh moistened vermiculite. As I was doing the transfer I noticed that the eggs were definitely not the same. One was larger with a perfect elliptical shape and felt firm and was creamy white. The other was slightly smaller, had kind of a pointed end, was more patchy in color, and was more squishy. I fear that that one may not have had as strong of a shell because of the patchy appearance... perhaps I did not provide my female with enough calcium! Also that egg, as I was putting it back in... I detected the slightest, ever so slight, sensation of stickiness on the side. I fear there is a tiny hole on the side. I hastily nestled the egg into the vermiculite, not wanting to damage it any further. My heart fluttered rapidly as I went over all the things that I could have done right to prevent this from occurring (especially including just moving the eggs!)

So I am just wondering if anyone knows whether eggs have the ability to repair themselves, in the case that there is a hole? If there's a hole this soon in the game, then I'm guessing that egg is a loss, and I can console myself by telling myself that it was probably a dud anyway. I've read through these past forums and read how some people have had really rough looking eggs hatch and I know that most of this is just wait-and-see, but you know the anxiety that develops with this!!
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Lisa Rakestraw
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My skinks:
1.1.1 Corucia zebrata (Berman and Joni, baby Charlemagne)
2.2.2 Eumeces schneideri (Jack and Mabel; Kaa and Cochisa their babies)
0.0.4 Egernia striolata

Hubby's snake:
0.1 Lampropeltis alterna (Sandy)

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