Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I purchased 1.1 V. Glauerti yesterday at NY herp show. I got home and they both explored their new home. Last night the female dug furiously three burrows. This mornining she looked exhausted and covered herself back into the borrow with only her head out. I watched her dig last night and I coud swear I saw egg shapes in her flanks.
She has not moved all day. So I gently excavated her site. As Soon as I saw an egg I stoped and covered them back up. I have removed both from this enclosure and am setting up an Igloo cooler with a thermostat and heater, my buddy is going to get vermiculite right now. I will order an incubator tonight.
Any chance on these making it? Any advice will be greatly appreiciated? I also have ackies, snakes, dragons, but never had eggs.
Keith

Congrats! Yes these should make it if they are fertile. Set your incubator at around 87 degrees. Fill up a small shoe box rubbermaid with about 300g perlite and 300g water. You can put a few small holes in the side of the box if you want, but not really needed. Let it sit in the incubator till everything warms up and settles. Then take out the box, gently dig up the eggs without turning them and put them on top of the perlite. Make a small indent with your thumb for each egg. Then leave everything alone. You might have to add a bit of water around the one and two month marks, maybe not. They will hatch around 90-100 days. Don't forget to call the seller to inform him of your good luck - I'm sure he'll be just thrilled to hear the good news, hahahaha
Hope this helps. Others will clarify or offer something better. It's been awhile since I've bred anything, but I have hatched lots and lots of kimberlys.

So you're the lucky guy who got em off that 2.1 trio at regal!! I was out getting money for em from an ATM and when I returned...gone. Congratulations, please post more when those eggs hatch. $550 for a gravid adult female Kimberly, steal of the century right?

Evelyn

OK, now that I haved calmed down. I set up temporary incubator in a 200QT igloo cooler with a temp. control device, and a clip on light with a 60 watt ceramic heat element. The heater is sitting on a rock in the bottom of the cooler. The sensor and remote thermometer are duct taped to to the underside of the lid. I also put a remote temp sensor in the egg box. I am steady at 86 degrees. I mixed about 60/40 perilite to water. The egg box is on and stand inside the cooler so warm air can get to all sides. I cleared the nesting site with a paint brush to remove dirt they were burried in.
I have a couple questions. I could only find two eggs, is the common? I have read normally 3-12.
I have read Glauerti are picky about the nesting sites, and if a good spot is not available they will reabsorb their eggs. The people I just got them from stated they saw sexual activity for sometime with the pair. The problem is, they told me they had them temporaily in a 6x1.5x2 enclosure with only a small amount of cypress mulch as a substrate. As I stated in my original post, as soon as I put her in my enclosure with a foot of dirt she went crazy digging! My question is; Is is possible since she couldn't/wouldn't lay before in the bad enclosure, she started to reabsorb eggs, and when put in a good enclosure she layed what she had left, and thats why I only got two eggs?
One last question, She has no interest in food at the moment, is that common with a female that just layed eggs?
Keith

I do not like doing this, but, buying a gravid monitor of any kind is not a very good idea. Its kinda like buying a lotto ticket. Only worse. Your chances of getting lucky are slim, only with monitors, your chances of something bad happening is great.

If you recieve a gravid monitor and its laying the day you get it, that is indication, its past due. Not perfect timimg. If your receive a few eggs, that means the rest are still in her.

I was the first person to breed Kimberlys(in the world) and I produced hundreds, I never had one lay two or three eggs. A small first clutch was 7. Of course fewer is possible, but that would indicate abnormally low support(poor husbandry)

And where did you get 60/40 for an egg medium set up??? Seems too moist in my experience. Particularly if you combine that with higher incubation temps.

While I wish you luck, My concern would be with the female. If she retains eggs, she and you by assoiation are in big trouble. Which would be expected under the situation.

If you have never kept these and do not understand them fully, gives you a better then average chance of failure. Under good conditions, the female may survive.

If you look around at available kimberlys, theres mostly males. Now you will understand why.

I wish I could offer you something of value, but its after the fact, and now theres only hope. I hope it works out for you and your kimberly. Good luck

FR

Thanks for the response. My concern is also with the female. The eggs are important, but she is more so at this point. Somewhat to my relief she has dug another nest while I was a work today. It is in the same spot as before and seems almost as deep. She is still down in the borrow and all I can see is her head. I got the male out so she can have privacy. I feel sorry for her, and this situation. I really hope she gets the rest of the eggs out of her! Could you offer any more advice as what to watch for or do? Thank You, Keith

Don't do anything. Besides, I'm sure she will be fine.