Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I keep my eggs in 2 small clear plastic containers with lids. I use coarse vermiculite. It is 1:1 water ratio with a layer of dry vermiculite on which the eggs lay on top of. The eggs do not touch the wet stuff. The humidity is 80-90% and the proportional thermostat keeps it at 88-89 degrees.
I opened the boxes up today for inspection. It has been 12 days since they were dropped. One of the eggs is discolored and has a raised dark green patch on it the size of a nickel. It still has a great vascular network upon candling. I separated this egg from the rest into it's own container.

Am I doing anything wrong?
What could have caused this?
Is it wise to expect some more loss?

Thanks
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0.1 Rubber Boa
1.1 Womas
1.0 African Hedgehog
1.0 Sulcata
1.1 Leopard tortoises
2 Silver Dollars
3 Bosemian Rainbows
1 Cory Cat
1 Upside Down Catfish
1 silver arrowana
1 sentenal bichir

It happens in many clutchs of eggs, and could be for a multitude of reasons. Just keep it separated, although mold and stuff can grow on an egg and not affect the one next to it, even when they're touching.
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1.1 Blackheaded pythons
1.1 Woma (Juvie female)
2.1 Aussie Olives
1.1 Timors
1.0 Angolan Juvie
1.1 Savu
1.1 Juvie Bloods
1.1 Juvie Balls
1.1 IJ Carpets
1.1 Coastal Carpets
1.2 Macklotts
1.1 Papuan Olives
1.0 Jungle Carpet
2.2 Scrubs (on breeding loan)
0.1 Jungle/Diamond cross
0.1 child, CB
0.1 wife, WC

It may be do to the substrate being to most.I know some people go the no substrate way.Good luck I hope the rest stay good.

Maybe it was a bad egg.
I hope the rest stay good.

Rudy
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0.1 Rubber Boa
1.1 Womas
1.0 African Hedgehog
1.0 Sulcata
1.1 Leopard tortoises
0.1 Pembroke Welsh Corgi

yuk

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0.1 Rubber Boa
1.1 Womas
1.0 African Hedgehog
1.0 Sulcata
1.1 Leopard tortoises
0.1 Pembroke Welsh Corgi

It looks like you have condensation on your walls of that container. If that not just because you pulled that box out for a picture, then you should consider changing you incubator or modifying te one you have now so that the temperature is more stable. One way to do that is to fill alot of the void space in the incubator up with water bottles. Another way is to raise the temp of the room the incubator is in, so you can open the incubator briefly for inspection without condesation occuring.
By the way, that egg is still going from what i can see. My absolute advice is to fix whatever right now, and dont mess with the eggs anymore, try to keep everything as stable as possible.
-doug

I trashed that egg because it was definately rotten.

The condensation is because I took the container out of the incubator and the there was a temp. change.
I don't notice any moisture when the boxes are in the incubator.

Is 80-90% humidity ok?

Thanks

Rudy
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0.1 Rubber Boa
1.1 Womas
1.0 African Hedgehog
1.0 Sulcata
1.1 Leopard tortoises
0.1 Pembroke Welsh Corgi

Not uncommon to loose an egg, that one does not look too bad though and I would not give up hope. If it turns green and yellow you have problems. I would highly recommend turning the heat down though, 88-89 is a wee high for these guys, aim for around 87 instead.

Good luck!

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Cheers
Lateralis
"I would rather be precisely wrong than approximately right"
Marion "Doc" Ford

Thanks for the info.
I turned the thermostat down to 87-88 degrees.
Do you think that condensation and too much humidity is bad for the eggs?

That egg went rotten and I tossed it.

Thanks again
Rudy
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0.1 Rubber Boa
1.1 Womas
1.0 African Hedgehog
1.0 Sulcata
1.1 Leopard tortoises
0.1 Pembroke Welsh Corgi

Thanks for the info.
I turned the thermostat down to 87-88 degrees.
Do you think that condensation and too much humidity is bad for the eggs?

That egg went rotten and I tossed it.

Eggs should be fine at that temp and you should see hatching in about 60 days or so. Humidity is fine if you have condensation on the sides of the container dont worry about it, its when you get condensation OVER the eggs on the lid that you need to be concerned. You dont want water raining down directly on the eggs, nor do you want the eggs to sit in a soupy vermiculite mix, Woma eggs like high ambient humidity but low contact moisture. The rest of the clutch looks pretty good, as long as they are fertile they should hatch out. Good luck with them, I know this is important to you!

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Cheers
Lateralis
"I would rather be precisely wrong than approximately right"
Marion "Doc" Ford

after messing with my setup and getting the smelly rotten egg out I've noticed that 2 of the eggs are dimpling in (concave).
I added some fluid to the substrate.
What is the best approach now?
Thanks

Rudy
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0.1 Rubber Boa
1.1 Womas
1.0 African Hedgehog
1.0 Sulcata
1.1 Leopard tortoises
0.1 Pembroke Welsh Corgi

when I opened up the incubator and opened the container that the eggs were in both eggs "popped" back out into place.
I candled them and they look fine.
I added a small amount of water using a 10cc syringe and a 3" needle. I inserted the needle to the bottom of the container and wet the bottom careful not to get the eggs wet.
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0.1 Rubber Boa
1.1 Womas
1.0 African Hedgehog
1.0 Sulcata
1.1 Leopard tortoises
0.1 Pembroke Welsh Corgi

Just keep the humidity up, eggs will dent during incubation but normally will not do it drastically until they are ready to hatch, or if they are very dry. Just keep the humidity up and they should be fine. I look in on them once a week usually and adjust things then. How many days since they were laid?
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Cheers
Lateralis
"I would rather be precisely wrong than approximately right"
Marion "Doc" Ford

She dropped on the 15th which was 18 days ago.
The humidity is up at 90%
I wonder why they popped back up when they were exposed to the cooler room temp air. They are back to dimpled again now that they are back in there. I just don't want to over-wet the eggs.

My biggest concern is that I am leaving for Puerto Vallarta Mexico in the morning and won't be back until next Wednesday.
My only other knowledgeable friend is actually going to be with me there.

Noone come steal my snakes while I'm gone.
lol.
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0.1 Rubber Boa
1.1 Womas
1.0 African Hedgehog
1.0 Sulcata
1.1 Leopard tortoises
0.1 Pembroke Welsh Corgi

Hi,
I have not dabbled in snake eggs before... but the problem that you are describing sounds pretty common. If it is just mold on the outside, then try making the egg enclosure a LITTLE dryer. I breed leopard geckos, and even the fertile eggs can grow mold. DO NOT THROW IT AWAY!!!!!!! Never throw away any egg unitl it explodes or rots or stinks.... If you are seeing a network of blood vessels, then it IS fertile. Dry it a LITTLE and wipe off the mold (if that is what it is) and just keeep an eye on it in general, and post me on what happens!!!

thanks. I ended up tossing it. It got really stinky 3 days later.
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0.1 Rubber Boa
1.1 Womas
1.0 African Hedgehog
1.0 Sulcata
1.1 Leopard tortoises
0.1 Pembroke Welsh Corgi