Reptile & Amphibian Forums

This is basically my attempt to help what I call my SKULL HEADED redfoot hatchling make it. It broke thru the egg and after a week I noticed still a large yolk and a soft carapace and plastron. Without having a contol I can't be sure the soaks are helping but I have noticed the shell firming up and I'm quite encouraged. Just ground up a 600 mg calcium pill mixed with warm water and the tortoise sits for 15 min. twice a day. Your thoughts on if you think this helps. With the yolk obviously acting as a semi-permeable membrane I can't help but believe it has an impact. More on it's progress later---Richard

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Richard -amazoa-

"Changes in behavior occur when the pain of staying the same outweighs the pain of change."

I had a clutch of eggs earlier this winter. I persumed the eggs to be infertal after candling and incubation time was up. So i broke them in a garbage can and all were bad except one... He looked about the stage yours is in. I didnt know what to do so i did the same soaked him but no calcium. He died after 2 days. Let me know the progress and anything you try weather it works or not!

I believe, though many will ridicule me that baby torts absorb moisture through the skin. This is why a moist substrate in their hide box is so important to prevent dehydration and pyramiding. It sounds nuts but if you look at how small torts survive in nature its hard to imagine a tort that size getting enough drinking water to stop it from drying up and dying.(redfoots maybe, but other species, no) Ridicule on but I think your soaks with the calcium is a great idea!

I think with a UV light for a few hours a day that should work. Odly,just the other day I misted my babies that were eating calcium dusted food. The h2o mixed with the calcium and I thought hummm a calcium soak could be good.....now I read this....grate minds think a like! Was your Calcium with/without vid.D Vic

The Calcium I'm grinding up has a balanced amount of vitamin D for human consumption, so just counting on it being OK for the baby tortoise. I also have been letting the little guy sit out on my back porch for some unfiltered UV. So far so good and in my estimate the shell is 60% more firm then it was 10 days ago. So it's all Good so far---Richard

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Richard -amazoa-

"Changes in behavior occur when the pain of staying the same outweighs the pain of change."

pool lil' fella... hope he makes it through ok. he has a very distinctive look to his head!