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When I got home from school today my dad said that my collard lizard had layed her eggs. She layed seven eggs, less than last years clutches of eleven and twelve, but I am still really happy. Hopefully I'll have some babies in a month or two.

I also have a question. Last year, after two eggs hatched I figured the others would hatch within the next day or two. The day of and the day after the two hatched, the others would move. A couple days later they didn't move anymore. I carefully opened one and there was a nice fully developed baby, but it was dead, I opened the others, and they all had fully developed babies, but they were all dead. If it happens agian what should I do?

Thanks,
Morgan

Hi Morgan,
I have found over the years that this sometimes occurs.
As you mentioned, the last egg or two seem to have
movement as the babies are trying to pip their way
out but just don't have the strength.

These days I like to crank the temps up just a tad and
add a few drops of water around each egg at about
their 3rd or 4th week. It seems that the slightly higher
temps at this time during incubation doesn't seem to
bother them as they are much stronger by then. It also
speeds up their incubation duration which is better for
them because they will soon run out of food if incubation
is prolonged and when it comes time for them to pip their
way out, the weaker ones will try for a day or two but
just simply don't have the strength needed from the lack
of nourishment.

I only raise the temps by a couple of degrees for their last
few weeks of incubation and only add about four drops of
water on the egg medium in close proximity around each
of the eggs.

Also, after a day of movement from eggs which are slow to
hatch, I have assisted them by simulating pipping on the
narrower end of the egg. If I don't see a tiny snout producing
by a few hours later I will assist them further but with great
care. I have had success with collareds, uros, agamas etc
by doing this but only as a last resort.

Good luck with them,
John

how do you do that then, with a set of tweezers or something?
-----
Kel

www.collaredlizards.co.uk
0:0:1 Timor Monitor
2:3:0 Collared Lizards
0:0:2 Chinese Water Dragons
0:0:1 Dune Scorpion
0:0:1 Imperial Scorpion
1:0:0 Desert Hairy Scorpion
0:0:1 Mexican Red Knee Tarantula
0:0:1 Green Tree Frog
0:0:1 Grey Tree Frog

I use a tiny pair of scissors. The kind that
fold up into a small ring so you can snap
them onto a key chain.

If you try this, you must take great caution
not to make your first cut too deep for fear
of hurting the baby. After the first cut you
can pretty much see in the slit before cutting
further if needed.

John