Reptile & Amphibian Forums

At the Hillsboro show, I talked to Doug Dix about his new egg tray he'll soon have for sale. At the time, Arthur hadn't laid her eggs yet but was very close, so Doug told me he could send me one of the original trays he had made to work out the design. Naturally, Arthur laid her eggs two days later, before the egg tray arrived. Eight of the ten eggs looked like they might be good - all ten went into slightly moist vermiculite in deli cups in a turbofan Hovabator set for 93F.

A few days later, the egg tray arrived. By this time, it looked like only three of the eggs were likely to come to anything. All were still in the incubator. I decided two days ago (perhaps disasterously) to go ahead and switch to the egg tray setup. Some time in this last day, all of the eggs collapsed almost completely and are fairly hard. I've still got them in the incubator - until they actually rot or disintegrate, they will stay there.

Is it likely I killed them by moving them? I'm sure it has nothing to do with the egg tray setup itself, but I'm afraid I wrecked it by disturbing the eggs. I was as quick and gentle as possible and didn't turn the eggs, but there was also a period of time where the incubator was about 10-15 degrees cooler while the new setup got warm again. Any thoughts?
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Torey
Eugene, Oregon, USA
1.1 Uromastyx geyri (Joe and Arthur)
3.0 Uromastyx dispar maliensis (Tank, Turtle, and Spike)
1.0 Uromastyx ornata (Scuttlebutt)
1.2 Anolis carolinensis (Bowser, Leeloo, and Sprocket)
0.1 African dwarf frog (Sheila)
1.0 Betta splendens (Mr. Miagi)
1.1 Felis domesticus (Roscolux and Jenny)

oh torey i am so sorry about the eggs. i know with collared lizard eggs, if you add water near the egg sometimes they will fill back out but i have no experience at all with uro eggs. hopefully the few that are left will take a turn for the better.
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vonnie
***There is no pleasure in having nothing to do; the fun is in having lots to do and not doing it. Mary Wilson Little ***

I know how very excited you were, and WE were for you !

That really is a BIG dissapointment, I understand as I have waited for collared eggs almost full term and the egg has died or deflated, and BUMMED me out.

The good part is you have your pair, and plenty of time, and they will certainly mate again, and give you good eggs.

I'm not sure what happened, it can be so many things. I know when I'm on the collared forum, if it happens to any of us, we just keep learning, put it behind us, and go for it again next time they lay.

One thing it does is INCREASE your desire to get eggs and desire for KNOWLEDGE in learning to care for them.

Which is a GOOD thing.
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PHEve / Eve

Torey,

I'm so sorry to hear about the eggs. I have only hatched one clutch of monitor eggs, so I am by no means an expert. I lost my first cluth also. I was using vermiculite and I could not keep the humidity up. The first eggs molded, some collapsed and the others I cut open long after the impending hatch date to find fully formed, but very tiny dried up babies, again, humidity or lack thereof was the culprit. I asked more experienced breeders and was told perlite is more forgiving as far as keeping humidity up, use one large box for incubation (instead of small containers) with very tiny air holes and keep the humidity at 85% or more, don't touch or move the eggs, keep the temp at 86-88 degrees, and open the box for gas exchange every few days or once a week minimum. I followed this advice religiously, and I hatched babies. I was also told not to use the turboban model as it dries out the eggs. I'm sure you don't want to hear this now, but it may help you out with your next clutch. One old time monitor breeders says "getting the eggs is easy, hatching them is the hard part." Best of luck for future clutches.

Pam

Thanks, Pam-

That info helps a lot! I hear sometimes uros will drop a second clutch about a month later, so maybe I'll have better luck next time!

I'm disappointed, but would have been very surprised to actually get any babies this round!
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Torey
Eugene, Oregon, USA
1.1 Uromastyx geyri (Joe and Arthur)
3.0 Uromastyx dispar maliensis (Tank, Turtle, and Spike)
1.0 Uromastyx ornata (Scuttlebutt)
1.2 Anolis carolinensis (Bowser, Leeloo, and Sprocket)
0.1 African dwarf frog (Sheila)
1.0 Betta splendens (Mr. Miagi)
1.1 Felis domesticus (Roscolux and Jenny)

Sorry to hear-
I had a same incidence with Ca kingsnake when I was a kid.
Used a chicken incubator and wet paper towels-
the end result was dehydrated eggs with little snakes inside-I was bummed.

Just another way-

Although i do not know if it is good advice for uros or not may be too wet?

I hatched alot of H2o dragons using the igloo filled with 88F water regulated with a quality fish water heater with thermostat floating a blue tupperware container with a combo of Vermeculite and moss on top of the eggs-hand moistened but not wet with bottled arrowhead spring water. I did it in a rather unorthodox manner- I would microwave everything to make sure it was sterilized let it cool in the Igloo and maintain the temp prior to putting in the eggs. I never really paid attention to the condition of the eggs while collecting them and placing them in the incubator.
Clutch hatch was about 100%. I did have problems however with maintaining calcium to the growing dragons, and MBD was present in numerous clutches.
Trying to boost the females calcium was massively important to proper egg development and hatchling survival.
All that said- the temps and the humidity were always very high just like with uros?
hope you get another shot at it-
Ed