Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have lost 2 clutches the last 2 yrs. Use a cooler type incubator with water at 83 degrees and tupper ware almost air tight container with moist vermiculite. Check eggs regularly for fresh air exchange, maybe once every other day. The eggs do fine until about 60 days later they seem to die one hatched but the egg yoke was huge and soon died. Any advice would be greatly appreciated Thanks Darren

Have all of the eggs been fertile?

Yes they have actually had turtles inside them, some what under developed I have reread the turtle books and I'm adjusting humidity temp a few degrees and better air circulation. Thanks for your interest Darren

The demise of the eggs after 60 days could be a sign the eggs need more air than you are giving them. The egg shell is permeable and oxygen must be readily available for the egg. There must also be a way for gasses released from the eggs to escape the tupperware or the gasses can poison the embryo.

An airtight container is not necessary and probably detrimental to the eggs, especially at 60 days when the embryo is getting larger and there is more of a need for oxygen. This is also a time when jarring of the eggs is bad-check the location of the incubator to be sure it remains steady. Poke a bunch of holes in the lid for air exchange, or place it on one side only.

Good luck!
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Tess Cook
www.boxturtlesite.info

Thanks will try a looser fitting container

Last summer I incubated 4 box turtle eggs here are a couple photos of the setup I used. A 10 gallon aquarium and a small Tupperware dish to float the eggs in and a tank heater I kept at exactly 84 degrees. I sprayed the Vermiculite every ounce a week lightly and cracked the wooden the freshen up the air. The wooden top was not a tight fit, I figured this would let it breath a little and every time I cracked it you could fell the humidity. The eggs cracked open around 70 days and a day for each turtle to come out. One egg collapsed a week later, so I had three baby boxies that was in August I have hibernated them in side in a small wooden container and check them every 3 to 4 days with a gentle poke for movement. That has seemed to work for the past 3 plus months until a few weeks ago when two of the babies died. The reaming baby I have moved to a terrarium complete with heat and humidity for sake off another word she looks good she occupies the terrarium with another baby from last year who is about a year and a half.
This years clutch after they have a successful incubation I plan on putting in the terrarium to give them a head start through the winter and hibernating them in a few years.
Good luck with your incubation efforts.

Alan

Thanks for the imfo I believed the the eggs were to wet but it was the opposite they were to dry. I will now let them be more humid then before. Thanks for your response Darren