Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Does the time it takes the female to lay eggs have any impact on how long the eggs incubation time is?
My female laid on day 54 after her post ov shed...the eggs have been incubating now for 38 days but seem like they are closer to hatching than they should be for the length of time in incubation. The eggs are starting to feel brittle and dimpling a bit more than I had expected at this point, I am getting some condensation on the top of the container, so I think there is enough moisture. I am using vermiculite under a grating and the eggs on the grate. I used this same set up last year with no issues. Any thoughts?

Usually no...she only lets them go when she can't give the eggs enough oxygen. Take the lid off the egg chamber...wipe it dry...they may be heating up but day 38 is kinda soon to be sweating...but ya never know.
Travis
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LAIR OF DRAGONS

Thanks Travis....do you think I should pack some moist vermiculite around the eggs to help them not dry out so much?

You have to ask someone that uses vermiculite...I havent used it in years
Travis
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LAIR OF DRAGONS

I always cover my eggs with damp moss. The first 3 or 4 days you have to take it out wet it put it back just damp. after a few days the condensation keeps the humidity high and keeps the water from dripping directly on the egss. i have done this for Balls and Corns and it works great. I also have holes in my containers.

...I had thoughts that YES, if a female held eggs longer than normal...they'd hatch faster....I don't think it works that way though...

...pack vermic around eggs....would that not make using the no substrate method pointless?...just a thought...
(I used eggs in vermic method for 20 years )....they all work...

moss...tried it alot...got mold alot....I finally used cloth rags for years....on ball eggs....I used like cotton cloth rags...folded into like 4 to 6 layers...wetted , squeezed out...and layed on the tops of piles of eggs...piled eggs only , and only when needed....

....tried plastic wrap once....that method will kill eggs...trust me....(oops)...

....early....you know eggs take from 52 days to 68 days...so...you'll do fine I assume....just watch them ...
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........JY

JY...
yes it seemed to reason to me that the embryos would develop
while the eggs were in the female, and that the time outside the female would be shorter because of that.

Yes, packing vermiculite around eggs would make the non substrate method pointless, but I was thinking more along the lines of getting moisture to the eggs.

I ended up using some damp paper towels, hopefully this will work, seems to be helping, at least for the time being.

May be the temperature isnt uniform enough in your incubator; causing extra condensation and taking a toll on your eggs? Is there anything different causing a temp change?....
'Cause they made it to day 38 just fine(I'm guessing)...

It hasn't changed rooms anything....I used the same setup last year with no issues...I'm concerned...I really really don't want to lose this clutch