Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello,
Does anyone have any advice about eggs? I have hatched snake eggs before and am using the same techniques, but the eggs seem a little shrivley. I just put them in a smaller container inside of the incubater to try and raise the humidaty. Any other tips would be helpful.

Thanks,
Morgan

I forgot to post some pictures! Also another question, the eggs have some sand stuck on them I was able to rub some off but some is still stuck, does it need to come off, how can I get it off?

Thanks,
Morgan

how do you guys get your lizards to lay so many eggs. i am lucky if i get three per clutch! i add water to the vermiculite and it usually plumps the eggs up. mine have always had some sand stuck to them, it doesn't seem to bother anything since they would be in sand anyway. just be sure when adding water to the vermiculite or whatever substrate you have the eggs on, that you don't get it directly on the eggs
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vonnie
***The scientific theory I like best is that the rings of Saturn are composed entirely of lost airline luggage.
— Mark Russell***

Dean-some of my friends use a nesting box or a corner with bricks and sand and a rock over the top. You might check into the nesting box idea-the females are ususally pretty good at laying in the sand substrate that is moistened. Good luck on the eggs!
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Phrynosoma.com

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signature file edited. [phw 11/14/04]

Morgan, if you are using a deli container or plastic type sandwich container for eggs, you should be using dampened vermiculite, damp as in not wringing wet or dripping but kind of clumps if you were to try and mold it together.
The the eggs are put in, DON'T let the eggs roll. You do not want them moving around now

If they get a yellowish/browinish they are too damp, let container dry out a while.
If they begin to cave a bit, add some water, (NOT to the eggs themselves) this makes them get moldy. Just add some around the sides of container, away from the eggs.

The sand will not harm them, yours looks more like pepples, but may fall off itself. Don't try handling eggs to get it off. Leave them alone now.

Best wishes Pal !
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PHEve / Eve

Contact PHEve

The best way I have found to incubate heloderma and monitor eggs which are both very sensitive is to use perlite in a mixture, lets say you have 200grams of perlite, add 100 grams of water and mix well. I put the mixture in a rubbermaid container with one tiny pinhole from a sewing needle, just enough to equalize the pressure so I dont raise or create a vacum seal when putting the lid on. I lay the eggs with the red embryo faceing up and burry the egg halfway on its side. Incubate and I only open the container to wipe any gathering condensation off of the lid so water droplets do not fall on the egg and kill it. The important thing is to start wipeing all condensation off of the inside of the container daily about 8-10 days before the eggs hatch, the reason for this is all reptile eggs dispell water prior to hatching and if the humidity is to high in the container they cannot dispell water and the hatchlings die in the egg after going full term. I would imagine this will work on collareds to.
Bob

I have found that a larger hole, about the size of a nickel works wellf or collareds. They seem extremely vulnerable to too high of humidity. If you wipe the lid daily as Bob suggests, I'm sure it would not be a problem. I have found that a large hole does not allow any buildup of condensation...Also, when you use Perlite, you can actually SEE your moisure level in the container. I seldom have to add water in, but you can simple keep an eye on the moisture level and add water after a few weeks too a level sufficiently below the eggs resting position.

I have hatched eggs like this in and out of the Hova-bators. If I hatch them at room temps, they just take longer.

Johne

John, I guess I should have mentioned the reason for one tiny hole is my incubators have a fan that makes them like a wind tunnel inside, actually I put each rubbermaid inside of a plastic bag otherwise the fan would dry them out. The object here for me is never have to add water, seems if you do that is when the risk of looseing eggs is greater. My incubators are made by the same folks who make hovabators and they are really designed for hatching bird eggs and that is why the fan is so strong in them.The good point of having a strong fan is it keeps the temp the same at both top and bottom of the large cabinet it is in, thus reducing condensation. The only time I wipe the condensation out is if there is a threat of it dripping on an egg which is rare, the other time is 8-10 days before the eggs hatch allowing the eggs to dispell water. If you wipe all the condensation out everyday during incubation you maybe removeing to much water and your eggs may shrivel up. The ratio of 200 grams of perlite and 100grams of water seems to work for anything I have ever tried it on. Remember if the perlite seems wet as it often is when you buy it, dry it out in the microwave oven first because if you dont you will end up to wet and the eggs will die, you need good dry perlite before you start to weigh and mix it with water.
Bob