Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Checked on the egg today and found it to be sweating.. small water drops all over top of it. Have no idea if this is good or bad. Nothing has changed in the incubator for about 2 weeks. Temps in incubator is about 85f-87f, temps outside is about 82f-85f.

The egg is still alive (I think). no mold or signs of rot. 3 weeks ago there was a visible black spot inside - believed to be the skink..that is now almost half the eggs.

I do not know if the sweating means it is to hatch soon, or it about to die..

IF ANYONE KNOWS PLEASE TELL ME...OR TELL ME TO STOP WORRYING! So few people breed these skinks that breeding advice is hard to come by.

Billie aka Oregonherpaholic!
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Oregonherpaholic @ Reptile Geeks Dot Com

Billie, I hope you get this in time. When I had my Schneider skinks eggs that hatched I volunteered in the reptile department of a local AZA accredited institution and talked extensively with the keepers about incubating eggs. The head curator told me that sweating was worse than wrinkling for eggs! He said that meant that the humidity was too high! Also, I heard that the temps should be 80-85. Mine were incubated at around 82-84. He also said that temperature was not even as vital as making sure they don't sweat! That *that* was the worst thing! I am so sorry to be an alarmist, but I really hope you can get this message ASAP and do something to bring the humidity down. Is the deli cup having a fine mist on the lid, or are there drops? This summer when I had the two eggs from the different Schneidy couple, I did not obsess on *every day* wiping the lid of the deli cup to remove the droplets and I think that may have been fatal to the egg (although when I finally slit it there was absolutely NO sign of an embryo at all so it very well could have been infertile.)

So, yeah, worry much about the sweating. Apparently sweating can cause the egg to burst maybe? Try to bring the humidity down. Maybe open up the incubator and keep drying the lid of the deli cup. Also, I would try to keep the temps slightly cooler, but I don't think that would cause sweating. GOOD LUCK!!! Did you cross post in Herp Health and Breeding? Give an update on the egg.
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Lisa Rakestraw
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My skinks:
1.1.1 Corucia zebrata (Berman and Joni, baby Charlemagne)
2.2.2 Eumeces schneideri (Jack and Mabel; Kaa and Cochisa their babies)
0.0.4 Egernia striolata

I posted this with a few other herp group folk..and found a similar message about bearded dragons.. I guess some desert species sweat about a week or two before hatching. It is close to the first due date..next friday. The entire egg is now wet.. not sopping or anything. I did feel the egg.. still nice and firm, but wet to the touch on top.

Nothing in the incubator has changed since day one..and I look through windows several times a day.. Humidity shouldn't even be a problem since the substrate is kind of dry. No moisture on lid or sides of the container. I did pop the "window" up today to make sure the air did not get too hot. Think I will wipe down the egg with qtip tomorrow and just hope for the best. I'd hate to lose egg this far along.

Will post update if I am still online in morning(shut off notice )
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Oregonherpaholic @ Reptile Geeks Dot Com

Okay, that's good news! I am surprised that the due date is so soon. Mine took seven weeks to hatch, but that could have been because of the lower temperatures too. Soo glad to hear that that is okay.
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Lisa Rakestraw
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My skinks:
1.1.1 Corucia zebrata (Berman and Joni, baby Charlemagne)
2.2.2 Eumeces schneideri (Jack and Mabel; Kaa and Cochisa their babies)
0.0.4 Egernia striolata