Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello everyone. Many of you provided great feedback last summer and fall when my Pardalis Leopard laid her first clutch in August, then again in Sept, then in Oct, then in Nov. Thanks for all your help. No new clutches since, but on Saturday this past weekend I found my first hatched baby FROM THE OCTOBER clutch - no hatches from the August or Sept yet. From candling it looks like there are viable eggs in all 4 clutches, maybe 8-9 total viable out of 30 total eggs. Our new baby is in great health and freaking adorable!

My questions are - is this normal that eggs hatch from clutches out if order? Also, should I expect eggs from the same clutch to hatch soon or could they still incubate for months? From everything I was reading Pardalis Leopards take from 8 to 15 months to hatch - this one hatched in 5 months. Does this mean that the eggs from the same clutch could take another 3 to 10 months? It all new to me.

(no worries, I don't house them with the parents!)

Thanks, Ben

Congrads big time guy! But let me warn you this will effect what you do with the rest of your life! LOL kinda of... I cant answer any of your questions but Richard Fife is the Goo-roo on this species,and others too that should chime in. Oh ya ,little tortoise heads crashing out of an egg....its all good. Vic

I have had tortoises clutches that were laid from the same female hatch before clutches that were laid months earlier. I have also had individuals from the same clutch hatch months after other ones in the clutch.
Whatever you do, just let nature take it's course.
These aren't snake eggs and don't do well when you peek inside.lol
I was wondering if any of those eggs were going to hatch.
You went from a rookie, to a proven tortoise breeder.
lol

Congrats!

Scott

Thanks guys, I was not sure if they were going to hatch either. I am nervous because this first one I found hatched had clearly been out for a long time. I got out of the habbit of frequent checking and it might have been two weeks or more since I last took a look. This first one had no yoke sac and was fully closed up when I found him, do does that mean he was out and about for a few days, a week, longer?

I have been peaking daily since last sat, but maybe I will stick to peaking in the little window on the top of the incubator for now instead of lifting the whole lid.

I am not aware of any other Pardalis Pardalis breeders in the state - or even leopard breeders in the state. they could be out there but even my local reptile shop, the largest and oldest within several hundred miles, is not aware of any others, so it does feel good to have created a enviroment where mother nature feels comfortable enough to do her thing.