# Egg with chip in it.



## Anyfoot (Oct 8, 2018)

These are the eggs I found whilst digging around a few weeks back. 2 on right are hatching as of today. 
The 3rd egg from right hand side looks to be hatching. However that egg has been in that exact same state for the last 10 days now. I thought it was pipping but nothing since. 
Anyone experienced this before? 
Do I just leave the egg alone?


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## Yvonne G (Oct 8, 2018)

Sometimes they get to that point and die. If it were me, I would gently chip away at the pip spot and see if he's still alive.


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## Anyfoot (Oct 8, 2018)

Forgot photos.


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## Yvonne G (Oct 8, 2018)

Those membranes under the actual shell look pretty dry. Maybe spritz a little water on it, and definitely break that membrane so he can breathe.


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## Anyfoot (Oct 8, 2018)

Just chipped a bit off and there is a live tortoise inside. Not sure how far on with development it’s at. Can see a carapace, but doesn’t look dark like a fully developed baby, it could be the albumen that’s creating the lighter Color though.
Think I may have made a mistake opening it.


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## Yvonne G (Oct 8, 2018)

No, no mistake. Just leave it alone now. As long as you didn't make it bleed, it will be ok.


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## Anyfoot (Oct 8, 2018)

That looks like the eggsack on right hand side.


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## Yvonne G (Oct 8, 2018)

Anyfoot said:


> That looks like the eggsack on right hand side.


Yes, it has a fairly large yolk. He can stay in the shell while that absorbs.


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## Tom (Oct 8, 2018)

10 days is an awfully long time to pip and then just sit there. None of my species do that, but I don't know if it is normal for RFs.

How long have they been incubating? How damp is the media and what is the humidity in there?


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## Anyfoot (Oct 8, 2018)

Tom said:


> 10 days is an awfully long time to pip and then just sit there. None of my species do that, but I don't know if it is normal for RFs.
> 
> How long have they been incubating? How damp is the media and what is the humidity in there?


My redfoots usually take about 3 days from pipping. I left the egg alone for so long because I was waiting until some of the other clutch pipped, which was yesterday. 

I found these eggs in the ground about 3 wks ago whilst retrieving babies that were hatching out of the ground. I’ve had 18 babies hatch from the ground plus these 7 eggs which all look good. I can’t for the life of me understand why this egg pipped. Infact I don’t think it did. I’m thinking it was gasses that blew the egg. I peeled away some of the eggshell to find a live tortoise. In doing this I could see an air pocket above the carapace, Being an interfering person I peeled some more away. This is what I’ve found. It keeps moving the head. Humidity is at 80/85% and I’ve spritzed the baby to keep moisture levels up. 
Wish I had left it alone now but what’s done is done.


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## Anyfoot (Oct 8, 2018)

I should add, one of the other eggs that has pipped is now showing its nose. This egg has bubbles coming out of it, as though there has been a build up of gasses. Maybe pressure changed when I raised them from the ground at such a late stage of development, maybe me moving them created gas pressure within the eggs. I’ve never seen bubbles as the tort pips before.


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## Tom (Oct 9, 2018)

I don't know if this is your case, but I've seen eggs swell and crack when the media is too damp.


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## Redfool (Oct 9, 2018)

Keep spritzing it. The surrounding moisture will dry out and glue the embryo to the inside of the shell. It isn’t breathing air yet so it won’t drown. That embryo still has a way to go. No hatchling digs out from underground with an exposed yolk sac.


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## Tom (Oct 9, 2018)

Redfool said:


> No hatchling digs out from underground with an exposed yolk sac.


I have ground incubated sulcatas and leopards dig out with exposed yolk sacs on occasion.

Just sayin'...


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## Anyfoot (Oct 9, 2018)

Well I just got home from work and went straight to look at this tortoise. It’s still alive and has turned in the egg so I can’t see it’s head now. I’ll keep spritzing it. Dawn has spritzed it a couple times through the day. 
I’m hopeful at the moment


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## Yvonne G (Oct 9, 2018)

Turning is what they do. They break a hole in the egg, then they turn a bit and hit the shell again to crack it. They keep doing that and going all around the inside of the whole egg until they have it cracked all the way around. Hopefully by the time he gets all around the yolk has absorbed.


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## Anyfoot (Oct 12, 2018)

Its still alive and all 6 clutch mates have now pipped. First 2 are out.


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## Anyfoot (Oct 14, 2018)

All clutch mates are out now. 
This one still live and kicking. Has a huge eggsack. 
I keep spraying so he doesn’t dry out.


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## Anyfoot (Oct 15, 2018)

Got home today and the baby was virtually out of the egg completely. The carapace and plastron is soft. As soft as the eggsack. So there’s either a major issue with this baby or it’s still premature and developing. The eggsack is huge. If it hardens off a bit over the next few days then at least we know they are very very soft within the egg right up to the last moment before they pip. 
I’ve transferred it to a tub with lid on and put it on moist tissue then put it in my vivarium. This way it can’t dry out. 
I dare not clean its eggsack for fear of crushing it. It’s that soft if I hold it with forefinger and thumb the marginal scutes squash in. 
Time will tell.


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## Toddrickfl1 (Oct 15, 2018)

Anyfoot said:


> Got home today and the baby was virtually out of the egg completely. The carapace and plastron is soft. As soft as the eggsack. So there’s either a major issue with this baby or it’s still premature and developing. The eggsack is huge. If it hardens off a bit over the next few days then at least we know they are very very soft within the egg right up to the last moment before they pip.
> I’ve transferred it to a tub with lid on and put it on moist tissue then put it in my vivarium. This way it can’t dry out.
> I dare not clean its eggsack for fear of crushing it. It’s that soft if I hold it with forefinger and thumb the marginal scutes squash in.
> Time will tell.
> ...


If he pulls thru I vote you keep this one.


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## Anyfoot (Oct 15, 2018)

Already thought that. What’s one more


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## Anyfoot (Oct 15, 2018)

I should have added. The vertebral scutes feel harder. Obviously I’ve not squashed them hard but they do feel firm. So maybe what I’m seeing is what should happen within the egg And vertebral scutes formbup first then it works it way around through coastals then marginals. Which would make sense because the plastron must be soft as it heels up with absorption of the eggsack.


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## CarolM (Oct 15, 2018)

Toddrickfl1 said:


> If he pulls thru I vote you keep this one.


I was thinking that too. It would be a very special little one.


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## Anyfoot (Oct 16, 2018)

It died.


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## CarolM (Oct 17, 2018)

Anyfoot said:


> It died.


Oh no. I am so sorry. That is really sad news.


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