Reptile & Amphibian Forums

This is my first year of breeding leo's.I've had about 10 hatchlings so far and all have been very healthy and eat well.On the weekend I had an egg hatch and within 2 days he was dead,he did look kind of small but is it common to lose a hatchling or two every year like this.Also I gave a few eggs that are chalky white on most of the egg but has small areas that seem translucent,is this bad?,how often should you check the incubator,I tend to check them every day and maybe give them a light spray.Thank you in advance for your advice.
Ian

I would not spray your eggs. Add water to incubation medium if need be, but not to eggs.

Sometimes fertile eggs get a translucent patch or two when they swell and are getting ready to hatch.

Could it have ingested vermiculite or something? I don't think it's exactly common to have apparently healthy hatchilings die for no reason.

i don't think so,it looked a bit small and seemed a bit un steady on it's feet,it didn't hiss at me like all my other hatchling have.Hopefully I won't have another little baby die,it's too dpressing

That is sad. I had an unusually small baby hatch this weekend, but I think she will be okay, she is in the incubator...though I moved her over to the 88° incubator instead of the female incubator she hatched in for extra warmth. Sometimes it will help a weak baby if you keep her in her deli cup in the incubator a few extra days, she can rest and stay warm. I put a little cap of water in there for her.

Thanks for all your help,I will keep that in mind if I have another small baby,so keeping it in the incubator for a few extra days helps does it.Also how often do you look in your incubator and check the eggs to see if they are fertile.Does it damage the eggs if your handle them too much even if your careful

I check my incubator 1-4 times a day if I have eggs near to hatching, otherwise I just check the temps. However I avoid handling my eggs as much as possible.