Doubtful you remember, but I acquired 0.2 Texas banded geckos on 27 June, and one had laid two eggs around 23 June. I kept them in a Gladware sandwich container with moistened coconut fiber at around 75 degrees on the off-chance they'd hatch (they were being kept in field conditions until I could rendezvous with the collector to pick them up).
I went on vacation on 07 August and took the eggs with me to Oklahoma City (7-hour drive from here) so my parents could inform me of any changes in the eggs. This entailed taking the container with me into McDonald's and other fine eating establishments so they wouldn't overheat in the vehicle, which probably raised a few eyebrows. I dropped off the eggs at my parents' house and continued on my vacation north.
No change, no change, no change. I passed back through OK on the 23-25th of August and left for home on the 26th. I got to about Austin (a little over an hour north of home) when I realized I'd left the eggs at my parents' house! Oh well, I guessed I'd give them another week and then assume they wouldn't hatch. I advised my parents to keep the substrate slightly moist but not wet, and they kept the eggs on top of their fridge. In the meantime, my grandfather, curious as ever, picked up the container to see what all the fuss was about and dropped it on the floor (a little Parkinson's disease runs in my family which doesn't help dexterity).
Well, I got a call from my parents today that one of the eggs hatched, either this past Friday or Saturday. They thought it was a Gila monster (a common misconception if you've seen a baby Coleonyx) and wouldn't touch it. THEN they put it outside (in Oklahoma, early September). I told them to immediately bring it inside, set it up in a bigger container with moistened paper towel substrate and a hide (creased business card ), and I'd arrange a shipment of fruit flies (which thrilled my mother to no end). Done and done. Too bad they don't have a decent camera; I'm curious to see my new arrival.
The other egg was "shriveled up like a raisin," so I think it's not going to hatch. So there you have it, a Coleonyx brevis hatchling after approximately 76 days of substandard incubation! If I'm lucky, I'll actually get it back when my aunt comes to visit in October.
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Chris McMartin
www.mcmartinville.com
I'm Not a Herpetologist, but I Play One on the Internet
