Reptile & Amphibian Forums

i get faster responses here. I also posted this on the hog forum:

My western female never appeared gravid. She did breed but it was to a small male and I thought she didn't become gravid. She started breeding before any of my corns did. My corns laid their eggs a month ago so I assumed she missed the boat only to find, when I was cleaning cages today, 16 eggs in her water bowl!! All swollen and yellowish in color. I took away her nest box 2 weeks ago. I have 2 questions...

1. how long from conception until they lay eggs?

2. how long can the eggs be in the water before they are a total loss?

I am assuming all 16 eggs are now dead but I did lay them out on some paper towels hoping against hope. They where just layed today. I picked the female up yesterday and the eggs where not there. She is big for a hog so I guess I just couldn't tell she was gravid!!

I placed them on a window sill with temps at 78 for a few hours to hopefully evaporate some of the water (they feel like water baloons) and them placed them in the incubator.

1. how long from conception until they lay eggs?

My feeling is 30 days but nobody know for sure. Breeding is not conception, it is just the passing of the sperm from the male to the female. If she has not ovulated then the sperm won't come into contact with the eggs until she does. Most of us breed the animals earlier than the ovulation, just our idea of how it need to happen I guess.

2. how long can the eggs be in the water before they are a total loss?

Not long. Try to incubate them but when they smell they are dead. If you want you can wait for the flies to come before you chuck em. I hope they make it, but in my experience it doesn't take long at all. The eggs drown when they fill up with he water they absorb.

Jason

Thats what I was afraid of...thanks.