Reptile & Amphibian Forums

well she emerged and she did not lay any eggs. maybe next time she digs. but it gave me a good chance to think of a question. exactly how do you sift through the sand to see if eggs are there without hurting the eggs? should i go buy a paint brush and play archaeologist? i hope she lays these soon because i cannot concentrate and i have a paper due in a couple weeks ha ha
-----
vonnie
***One of the advantages of being disorderly is that one is constantly making exciting discoveries. - A. A. Milne***

You do it carefully, gently, usaully see a pile and some white egg showing through ! Just be gentle, you will be fine!

Concentrate on your paper, leave the egg laying to her, LOL

What are you majoring in, if you want to say ?
-----
___

Eve

no i don't mind saying at all. i am getting my masters in latin american studies. what can you do with that? well i eventually want to get my doctorate so i can teach at a college level. however, i can get jobs with government "think tanks", be on research committees, be a consultant etc. i honestly have no idea where it will take me but it has taken me to alot of fun places already...chile, cuba, argentina (legally i had permission) and now san diego. not too bad for a girl from south cackalacky. my focus mostly is in cuba as it is the anomaly of latin america.
i will definitely leave the egg laying to her but i feel like a grandmother to be in the waiting room. my only concern is that i have like 4 inches of sand and she seemed to like the bottom of the box. i am just so afraid when i am trying to get the sand out of the way the hole she dug will cave in! maybe i should hire a geologist to extract them ha ha
-----
vonnie
***One of the advantages of being disorderly is that one is constantly making exciting discoveries. - A. A. Milne***

exactly how do you sift through the sand to see if eggs are there without hurting the eggs?
============
Feel your way along, very carefully. Mine almost always lay on the 'bottom' of any container I provide them with, and pile sand up over the clutch as deeply as possible. If your sand is correctly moistened and the temps are good in your nest area, it won't hurt the eggs to remain where they are laid for some time; In fact, it helps the "shell" to season a bit before you handle them. A fertile egg should feel slightly firm, whereas an infertile will feel very soft and pliable, squishy, like a water balloon. If you must leave the eggs in place for over 24 hours before moving them, you should use a bit of extra care in uncovering them. Try to place a small dot (just a touch from a sharpie laundry marker or such) on the upper surface to show the way the egg was oriented (like marking 'this side up') in case you have one or more roll around at some point in the transfer. Place them in your media with the dots up, and post zillions of pictures of the new lizards! I still have three eggs (out of dozens of infertiles) which still seem to be 'good'. I MAY get some little brownstars (LT x Haggis) soon myself LOL. Lord only knows what THAT will produce!

GOOD LUCK!

DC
-----
I've got the blues...LOL...them screamin' yellow-head blues...

oh as soon as i get these eggs you all, all across the country, will probably hear a big squeal. well i will probably bust out a camera too and get pics of the big ones and the eggs so i can show off all my "babies"
-----
vonnie
***One of the advantages of being disorderly is that one is constantly making exciting discoveries. - A. A. Milne***