Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have a clutch of 52 veiled eggs, which were laid almost 5 months ago. I just need to know what to look for when they are getting ready to hatch. I have, quite suddenly and for no particular reason, lost a couple of them--their shells kind of crumpled. I tried rehydrating them by misting--a couple puffed back up, but 2 didn't. Do they start to crumple when they're getting ready to hatch? Anyway, any help would be greatly appreciated. I just need to know when to start buying pinhead crickets. Thanks.

As the eggs get near the point of hatching you may see marks on them that look like thinner areas. Most people refer to them as "windows". The eggs shrink in...but I wouldn't say it was denting or crumpling. Eventually the end of the egg should slit in an "X" shape and the head should come out. The baby will lay there looking quite dead for up to a day while it absorbs the rest of the yolk...and then it will climb out of its egg. How close the eggs are to each other in the container will affect the hatching. If they are all close together in a clump they will likely all hatch within a couple of days...if they are laying in rows an inch or so apart, they may hatch over a period of days or even a couple of weeks.

>> I just need to know when to start buying pinhead crickets. Thanks.
You could try candling your eggs to see how far along they are:
Put the eggs in a dark room, and use a SMALL flashlight to shine light on each individual egg. You should be able to see veining, and possibly the developing embryo.
Also, pinhead crickets have a high mortality rate, so I wouldn't recommend purchasing them ahead of time. Just keep your eyes open, and when you see the first egg hatch, put in your order for pinhead crickets. They should be okay for a couple of days.
One thing you could do is start about 3 colonies of Hydei fruit flies. With fruit flies, you can use your current colony to start other colonies, so you'll have plenty of fruit flies on hand for when your chameleons hatch. Plus, fruit flies have much better nutrition than crickets!
Good luck!
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Victor Gomez
gomezvi@yahoo.com

I have had my eggs go as long as 9.5 months before hatching...and that was keeping them in a temp range of 77-71 degrees F.

The eggs are not ready to hatch but are drying out for some reason. You can use spagnum moss that is damp but not wet to add moisture to the egg container. I've read that water in direct contact will kill the eggs. The egg container should be sealed to prevent moisture from escaping. But open the egg container every week or two to let in some fresh air.

Keep in mind these cham eggs are usually burried about a foot or more down into the ground where the temps are mild and the ambient moisture is high.

-RG