Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I am happy to report my clutch of 10 D. couperi eggs just hatched, and #10 emerged about 76 hrs. after his #1 sibling. Why the delay? They were incubated at low end of normal for a 114-117 day incubation, in an Avey ice chest type incubator. The long incubation was planned, but not the over 3 days variation on hatching, I was getting stressed by the end, and I slit the last two eggs.
Opinions and theories on the 3 day spread for hatchling emergence please?.... BTW, 8 blue spotted red throats and 2 blacks, fat as sausages...Vic H. Imperial Valley, CA.

Congrats!!!!!

What was the incubation temperature?

Incubation temps started around 75.5 f. and gradually increased to 78 toward the end. I tried to never exceed 78 f. but at the very end it may have. I don't know if this is possible, but it seems the eggs may generate some heat of their own at the end?... the incubator is not large, just room enough for two shoe boxes, they fill most of the volume within, so I wouldn't think there is much variation in the temps within, but maybe there is. I need to get a really accurate thermometer. Vic H.

Vic,

Three days is not an overly long time for the entire clutch to hatch. In the case of my first clutch of YT eggs this year, the first of 13 eggs hatched on April 6 and the last hatched on April 19 (see my forum post dated April 19). That's a span of 13 days, far longer than I've ever witnessed in any kind of Dry clutch. I would think your 3 day span is probably within the normal range.

BTW, congrats!

Brian