Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Well, I have been using a little mini-greenhouse from Park Seed to incubate my crested eggs, and it's supposed to heat to 80F. I had it vented an inch on each side to keep it just under 80F when we suddenly had summer on Monday. (We routinely go from 40F one day to 80F the next this time of year, so I should have anticipated.) Anyway, when I got home from work, the temp in there was 85F!!! Has anyone ever had an egg hatch after exposure to that much heat? There were 3 eggs (the 1st of one set had already hatched Mon morning) due any minute-now I don't know whether they got cooked and are all dead? Obviously, I immediately removed them to a cooler place - 75F - but just wondered whether anyone ever had this happen to them? If they were killed, how soon will I be able to tell and how? The 3 eggs that were imminent are very large and sort of darkening from the baby inside. Anyway, as soon as I am able to figure out how to order from 3L, I'm planning to get a HovaBator.
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Terri
4:8:5 crested geckos: Popcorn, Goldfish, Harley, Bear, Big Red, Olive, Smudge, Blackie, Belle, Brilliant, Tina, Brick, Tony, Kermit, WildFire, WildSpatter-Spots-to-Spare & Randi(y)

well, i just had the exact same thing happen in my hovabator. the air cond. wasn't turned on yet, and the temp spiked ( in iowa) to about 85 2 days ago. it was probably that hot for atleast a couple of hours. when i got home it put a few small containers with ice in there and it dropped to around 76 within 15 minutes or so. i had a female ( almost adult) crested gecko almost die from temps near 90 one day. was breathing very very slow and her tongue was hanging out. after about 30 minutes of gradual cooling and getting her to drink some she got better over the next day. i'm sure you've still got a pretty good chance of atleast a couple of them hatching out.
about the hovabator, you know you're still gonna have to have it in a very cool spot ( shaded basement) or have the A/C on correct? there's only a heating element and no cooling element.

Thanks for your experience; you reassure me that those babies might make it. The day that happened to you was the same day that we finally got summer here in Wisconsin, Monday. I know that the hovabater can't cool itself, but does it at least turn off the heating element when it reaches the set temp? That goofy min-greenhouse just kept pumping the heat in spite of the fact that it was hot enough! I think I'll put the hovabator (when I get it) down in the root cellar and observe it for a few days before I give it any of my precious eggs. The root cellar keeps a year-round temp of 60F-not affected by temp spikes outside which affect our living areas on 1st & 2nd floors. Thanks again!
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Terri
5:9:4 crested geckos: Bear, Goldfish, Kermit, Brimstone, WildFire, Big Red, Olive, Smudge, Belle, Brilliant, Tina, Brick, Toni, Beauty, WildSpatter-Spots-to-Spare, Randi(y), Squeak and Pastel. (last 2 just hatched)

yes, the hovabator does quite heating after it reaches the set temp. there's a " wafer" that separates and will not conduct electicity when it breaks, and then comes back together after it cools. " The root cellar keeps a year-round temp of 60F" that would be perfect. just pick up a digital thermometor and play around with it for a few days and then DON'T TOUCH IT... haha. i got the air running in here so i don't have anything to worry about. until it quits working.. ( then i'll have to revert to the ice again)

np

I HAD been incubating at room temp. until this winter. Sometimes it took as long as 4.5 months (!) for the babies to emmerge, but always healthy and sturdy. Then late last fall, I had an egg get quite large and dark, and abruptly stopped short of hatching. Convinced that it had died, I opened the egg and found a large baby with beautiful pattern, full tail and head, nice body, 4 legs, but not a digit on any of them! It was dead with no heartbeat/pulse, with nubs for feet, no fingers or toes. I called the UW Vet school and spoke with one of their reptile people who suggested that the failure to completely develop MIGHT have been caused by extended incubation at rather (chilly) room temps. Obviously, there may have been other factors beyond my control, but that cured me. Finding that baby with nubs for feet was traumatic for me, but not opening that egg at all was not an option for me at the time. I'm always willing to learn how to do it better. I wish you luck! As I said, it did work for me for a while.
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Terri
5:9:4 crested geckos: Bear, Goldfish, Kermit, Brimstone, WildFire, Big Red, Olive, Smudge, Belle, Brilliant, Tina, Brick, Toni, Beauty, WildSpatter-Spots-to-Spare, Randi(y), Squeak and Pastel. (last 2 just hatched)

thanks for your input, fortunately i am able to keep room temps pretty stable in the winter and relatively warm for winter room temps. we shall see, i know i am going to be getting a hovabator this summer for AFT and Leo eggs, so if it seems i need it for rhacs i will have it avail. thanks

Andrew Ellis