Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My gravid woma was about to drop all month and I was sweating it big time. I left for Costa Rica on April 28th and she did not drop yet. A trusted friend who is a colubrid breeder was to take care of the eggs after they were dropped. My girlfriend found the female wrapped around 9 healthy looking eggs and one questionable one. She took a picture of them with her cell phone since I had the digital camera with me in Costa Rica.
I just flew into LAX right now at 1am Sunday Morning 5/8/05 and to my HORROR found 10 sunken, rotten smelling eggs with fungus all over them!!
I typed a 5 page instruction manual on how to take care of the eggs. The humidity in the incubator was only at 70%, the temp seemed right at 87degrees. The smell and the sight were horrible. He put them over wet vermiculite.
From the picture on my girlfriends phone the eggs seemed viable. Now they are just sunken, rotten trash.
Is there any chance they can make it? How do I get rid of the fungus. Is there a chance the eggs were bad to begin with? The eggs looked great from the picture.
This guy who came over didn't even peek at the instructions I left.
Some friend.
What a waste of a few years of work.
I need advice.

Rudy

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0.1 Rubber Boa
1.1 Womas
1.0 African Hedgehog
1.0 Sulcata
1.1 Leopard tortoises
2 Silver Dollars
3 Bosemian Rainbows
1 Cory Cat
1 Upside Down Catfish
1 silver arrowana
1 sentenal bichir

Post a pic of the clutch so we can see what you have to work with, it does not sound good but perhaps there is a chance.
For now I would say get them on to DRY perlite in a suitable container, put this one in another container with appropriate wet mixture, put a lid on the big container and stick it back into the incubator. Then cross your fingers.
Sorry to hear of your misfortune, too bad your friend couldnt come through for you.
Good luck.
Lat

Here are the pictures. These eggs stink badly. Is there a possibility that they were once viable? They are about a week old and I came back from Costa Rica last night.

-----
0.1 Rubber Boa
1.1 Womas
1.0 African Hedgehog
1.0 Sulcata
1.1 Leopard tortoises
2 Silver Dollars
3 Bosemian Rainbows
1 Cory Cat
1 Upside Down Catfish
1 silver arrowana
1 sentenal bichir

another angle

-----
0.1 Rubber Boa
1.1 Womas
1.0 African Hedgehog
1.0 Sulcata
1.1 Leopard tortoises
2 Silver Dollars
3 Bosemian Rainbows
1 Cory Cat
1 Upside Down Catfish
1 silver arrowana
1 sentenal bichir

Hi Rudy
Well those dont look too good, honestly they look too far gone though I would take the best looking ones and give it a shot anyways...you never know. The ones with greenish yellow cast to them are done. Well all you can do is get your female back in good shape for next year and try again...
Lat

Just candle them instead, forgot to mention that previously

Lat

do you think candling would show anything this soon?

What do you think could have been the cause of their demise??
-----
0.1 Rubber Boa
1.1 Womas
1.0 African Hedgehog
1.0 Sulcata
1.1 Leopard tortoises
2 Silver Dollars
3 Bosemian Rainbows
1 Cory Cat
1 Upside Down Catfish
1 silver arrowana
1 sentenal bichir

n/p

Candling shows if they're fertile or not from the moment they are layed. You aren't looking for embryos just a blood supply, which should always be visible.

Woma eggs can look really horrific and still hatch but the stink sounds like bad news. They seem shot but, before you throw the whole lot out, I'd be tempted to look inside one, just in case.

G

some of those eggs dont look good, but they dont look dead yet. you could save the white ones most likely if you act fast but smooth. first, forget candelling because you dont want to screw with the eggs too much and you knowing whether they are alive is not necessary to them surviving. by the timeyou read this i bet you already candelled them, but dont worry.....the important thing is to not screw with the eggs too much, physically, and temp/humidity. it is best to put them on perlite, where dry perlite sits on wet saturated perlite (you should see the water line about 1.75cm below top of perlite.) make the humidity in the container between 85and 90, it should be sealed tight, with maybe a crack or hole to allow for gas exchange. i would not worry too much at this point, what will happen will happed. the smell means little because of the obvious dead ones, but leave them in there too![bleep] happens and those might hatch out. i have hatched ways worse, but chances are low. also brown and yellow mold are not that bad because they primarily reside outside the eggs, trying to work inside....the eggs will be able to keep alive though. blue/green molds come from the inside out usually and signify a dead embryo that is not secreting the chemicals used to fight off infection in the egg. good luck. i will check back. also dont put those eggs in 100 percent humidity.......its a very bad idea unless your incubator is very very stable temperature-wise.

thanks for the advice. I will follow it closely.

Rudy
-----
0.1 Rubber Boa
1.1 Womas
1.0 African Hedgehog
1.0 Sulcata
1.1 Leopard tortoises
2 Silver Dollars
3 Bosemian Rainbows
1 Cory Cat
1 Upside Down Catfish
1 silver arrowana
1 sentenal bichir