Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have some eggs in the incubator that will probably start hatching by the weekend...

Anyone else out there with babies, or close?

I had 4 Florida box turtles hatch almost a month ago. Things should get really busy as far as hatchling starting this week because every week except one since the first week in June, I have had a box turtle lay eggs. Not surpringly, I have a female due to lay this week for the fourth time this year, and a female that laid her 3rd clutch a week and half ago is gravid again. This week I am expecting a clutch of three-toed box turtles to hatch, and then all of the eggs after that are Florida box turtles. I wish everyone else luck with their eggs/hatchlings!

hope this pix works.
This little one was a real surprise.

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Patsy

OK, the first of the season (here) has pipped... and so it begins.

>>OK, the first of the season (here) has pipped... and so it begins.

YEE HAW! That sounds so exciting!!
We need pics!
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PHRatz

What percentage of your(TURTLES)eggs hatch yearly?

Every year there are a few infertile eggs, and babies that pip a bit prematurely and don't make it...last year one egg contained twins, neither of which survived, and another baby ruptured its own yolk while pipping... but overall the hatch/survival rate was 90% last year.

Is there any problem with raising only one hatchling? Do they normally congregate or socialize? I don't know anyone here in Maui w/hatchlings. this one is shy but agressive about food. It seems to be getting used to us feeding it though. Thanks for any info. Patsy
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Patsy

They probably do not congregate or socialize in nature...

Thanks Steph. Today I fed Squirt and as long as there was a moving worm, it forgot about me. He/she ate 2 small worms but ignored the papaya, lettuce, tomato for the most part.
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Patsy

No turtles yet....but I am really enjoying these five lined skinks that hatched recently.

I found the eggs in my backyard on June 23. They were scattered near an area where some railroad ties had created an overhang. It was obvious the nest had been disturbed. The mother stays with the eggs and she was nowhere in sight. There are some pretty big snakes (relatively speaking) that we see in that part of the yard. Garter and what I think is a milk snake that are 3-4 feet long, so I was afraid that one of these snakes got the mother so I took the eggs to incubate them.
There were six and two of them hatched about two weeks ago on Saturday and the other four hatched the following wednesday.

I had to order some flightless fruitflies and pinhead crickets, they were so tiny. They seem to be eating well now and I offer them tiny rolipolies and earthworms along with small crickets and the fruitflies.

Hope this isnt' too OT, but had to share.

Wow, very pretty. What kind of camera did you use? Mine won't zoom in that close and stay focused.

Lisa, they are fabulous! Thanks for posting the pix.

I have two hatchlings so far now, BTW, and a couple more pipped eggs.

I should start having some turts in the next couple of weeks.
Sadly, I have three ornate eggs that were "laid" on 6/3, one caved in early and now a second one is caving in, close to hatching. I guess I'll be lucky if I end up with one ornate baby. Squirtle's two eggs are looking iffy also.

The roadkill eggs haven't collapsed but at least two of the three are starting to look moldy. They never got that dry chalky look to them.

It would seem that ornates are not as prolific as three toeds.
They don't nest every year and I would say I see a higher rate of egg failure. Dottie had 7 eggs in 2005, and all hatched. No eggs in 2006 as she was ill. She laid three eggs this year and maybe one might hatch.

But hey, those little skinks are cute and fun to watch eat!