Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi Doc,

How are the eggs?

I've lost a few peachie clutches that looked like the pic you posted. The eggs always looked good until about hatch time, then caved like yours and died.

I'm wondering if you have been able turn them around? If not, can you think of anything you did different from the last successful hatching?

Thanks

Hi Richard,

The last clutch got very dented before hatching, too, and some of those eggs remained so for a long while (four to six weeks) before hatching. The biggest difference between this clutch and the last clutch is the temperature at which I've incubated them. The previous clutch was incubated at 30.4C and hatched quite early (186-204 days). This clutch was incubated one degree cooler at 29.4 and is now at 236 days (one hatched at 226 days). Consequently, everything is happening at a slower pace and the amount of time they have been dented has extended (it's now been 2.5 months since they first started denting).

It's a small sample size, but if the rest of this clutch fails to hatch I'd say it isn't the denting itself, but the amount of time they are dented. The eggs do feel rather tough at the moment, particularly where folded and I can't help feeling that staying folded like that for a long period would only add to that toughness. I am trying Frank's technique with the paper towel.

The interesting thing is the difference within the clutch for both clutches. Again it's a small sample size, but the eggs nearer the outside of the box are still full and undented. This was the case with the previous clutch, and these fuller eggs were the last to hatch. There is often condensation on those sides of the egg box, close to those eggs, so it appears to be a humidity/temperature difference within the same egg box.

Cool Stuff.

One of the things I have noticed is the type of denting can mean different things. Top denting has rarely been a problem, side denting is slightly worse, bottom denting is really bad. At least here.

Denting could have something to do with the position of the monitor within the egg, but I think position is more of a symptom than a cause.

Congrats on the beautiful hatchling.

Good luck and keep us posted.

I haven't had them dent on the bottom, yet, but check out the egg near the tip of the hatchling's tail in this photo. This was from the first clutch and at the time this photo was taken I was convinced it was a goner. It actually got much worse than when this photo was taken and what had me convinced it was a goner was the manner of the denting - rather than a couple of tidy little dents on the top and on the side, it was wrinkled and dented all over and looked a complete mess. Much to my surprise it not only hatched, but the hatchling was incredibly robust and soon became the largest of that clutch.