Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Looks like one of the girls laid eggs when I wasn't looking: I'm in VA and my question is whether anyone in the mid-atlantic region has had any babies hatch in October (or later), did they stay in the nest over the winter, survival rates, etc.
I have an idea of where the nest may be, but its too late to move the eggs (my understanding), so I plan on monitoring the area...
thanks
Stephanie

my 3 toe clutch is due to hatch in sept.-oct. though I'm artificially incubating, MA winters would kill my hatchlings for sure,
why would it be to late to take the eggs? as long as you dont roll them there shouldn't be a problem..
good luck

Maybe I'm overly cautious, but in correspondence with Dr. Belzer, he advised against moving eggs if more than 12 hrs had passed after hatching...
Maybe I'll look for them after all.
Thanks!

I've moved eggs 2 days after, and also a week before hatching. As long as you keep them oriented up properly, and don't shake them, etc, and are very careful, you should be fine.

I have had hatchlings overwinter, and I am in NC. None of them survived long. The two I got I found in the spring as I prepped the pens for springtime. They were easterns, and had just finished absorbing their yolks, or were at that stage in development, post hatching. They tried valiantly to eat, but no matter what I did (ALL of my hatchlings have survived other than these two and ones I had before knowing how to handle them) they died anyway.

So... for myself, I would move the nest, incubate, and raise them indoors. I won't rely on overwintering if I can avoid it.