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Well, I got home from vacation last night and went to sleep, this morning I was going to clean out the incubator because the one and only egg in it I had passed off for dead, and decided that I'd leave it over vacation (you never know)...

Well, to make a long story short, I was late for work today because a little (actually quite big) Leo was staring me in the face from his deli cup...

This is my first egg to hatch ever, so now I'm siked. But he is deformed, he has one toe on the right front leg, and lacks a paw on the left front leg. He is SUPER hyper, and I mean crazy.. IDK when he hatched which is a problem, but I'm now heading out to pick up some small crickets, and some other stuff. I'm hoping he lives, even if he is deformed because he is awesome, plus, I don't want to euthanize he/she (I incubated at 85, so what sex?) unless it looks really bad, but now he runs just like his mother and father.

The parents aren't related so I'm wondering if I did something wrong with the incubation that screwed up his front legs? The temp never dropped below 84.2, and never went above 85.6, and the humidity was almost constant at 62%... Anyway, the mother looks like she has another egg (hopefully two) ready to come out.

I almost think my mom is more excited than me.. Haha... I will post pictures as soon as I get home..

BTW, what is the ideal setup for a new born? I have him in a fairly large plastic herp habitat thingy with paper towels on the bottom, and chinese soup lid as a water dish, and a hide (that looks too big to me)....

Congrats! I am so happy for you.. and JEALOUS.. my first eggs at at day 55 and I'm not very patient!

I wouldnt worrya bout the toes at this point, just keep an eye out for other problems and hope for the best =)
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Mommy of Many

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0.4 Incubating Leo Eggs
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1.0 Boxer Pit Bull
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0.1 Lhasa Poo
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3.1 Humans

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No problems yet although he/she is just enjoying chasing around the one cricket in with it.. Doesn't seem to notice the silk worms though..

What other problems should I really look out for?

My main experience is with my older ones, especially since I got them as sub-adults, I haven't had the baby experience until now.

Congrats! I remember the day I hatched my first lil one..I was so excited I was almost crying. My parents we just as excited too...haha.

Here's how I keep my hatchlings. I keep them on non-adhesive shelf liner so that the crickets can't get under the substrate. I put a toilet paper role and some paper towels kinda scrunched up for them to hide in. I take some paper towel and fold it and moisten it and that is what they drink from until they are about a month old. Change it out every week and make sure you keep it wet. Hatchlings are kinda dumb about using a water bowl that's why I do this. I keep the cage like this for about a week and then I add a calcium bowl and I start feeding them small crickets. They usually don't eat until they shed for the first time so that maybe be the reason why your lil one won't eat. I hope I helped. Good luck.

PS: Also regarding the deformity, don't put it to sleep if it can eat and get around like your others but don't ever breed it and make sure that if you sell it the future owner knows never to breed it. Just being careful.
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Katie F.
Peach State Geckos
Breeding Mealworms
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"A herper's life is never dull" - ME