# *impatiently taps foot*... day 63 of RT egg incubation



## biochemnerd808 (Nov 2, 2014)

...I know those 2 eggs (laid Aug 31) will hatch any day now! I have been stalking them through the window in the incubator.  The Spring batch hatched after 56-72 days. 2 clutches, all from the same Momma... the variation was surprising, but my guess is that this is a survival technique. Stay tuned for pics, hopefully this week.

Here's a pic of lady laying her clutch outside at the end of our Summer.


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## Yellow Turtle01 (Nov 3, 2014)

Keep stalking  I hope everybody hatches soon!


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## ZEROPILOT (Nov 3, 2014)

Wow. Exiting. I've only had batches of duds.


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## ShadowRancher (Nov 3, 2014)

Good luck!


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## Earth Mama (Nov 3, 2014)

Can't wait for the big event!


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## Tyanna (Nov 3, 2014)

How exciting!!


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## Moozillion (Nov 4, 2014)

Are they here yet?
Are they here yet?
Are they here yet?


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## Earth Mama (Nov 4, 2014)

Moozillion said:


> Are they here yet?
> Are they here yet?
> Are they here yet?


Yeah! What Moozillion said!!!


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## biochemnerd808 (Nov 4, 2014)

Moozillion said:


> Are they here yet?
> Are they here yet?
> Are they here yet?



Still waiting! They are still in the window of 'normal' so I'm not going to bother them or investigate... just waiting!


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## Earth Mama (Nov 4, 2014)

biochemnerd808 said:


> Still waiting! They are still in the window of 'normal' so I'm not going to bother them or investigate... just waiting!


Open, open, open!!!


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## bouaboua (Nov 4, 2014)

Earth Mama said:


> Open, open, open!!!



You forgot to yell "Sesame".......


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## biochemnerd808 (Nov 4, 2014)

Update: eggs are still snuggly snoozing. They look good though - nice dark mass inside, nice bubble on top. I guess these babies will just be extra well done (and at 65 days, they are still well within the range of normal)


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## biochemnerd808 (Nov 7, 2014)

UPDATE: One of the eggs is pipping today, @Moozillion !  Doesn't seem to be in a hurry to come out... just made a little hole, and now there's a little eyeball peeking out...


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## Earth Mama (Nov 7, 2014)

I'm so excited, I'm beside myself!!! Imagine if they were MY tortoises eggs....I'd EXPLODE!


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## glitch4200 (Nov 7, 2014)

.... that is very exciting please post many many pictures I want visuals !


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## biochemnerd808 (Nov 7, 2014)

Nothing interesting to see yet... just some dark little body part behind the hole in the egg.  It's moving around in there, but doesn't seem in any hurry to get out (as also apparent by the fact that the little stinker has been waiting for 68 days at this point)...


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## Earth Mama (Nov 8, 2014)

It's gotta be a girl


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## Moozillion (Nov 8, 2014)

WOO HOO!!!!


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## Moozillion (Nov 8, 2014)

Earth Mama said:


> It's gotta be a girl


Ha ha!!! Love it!!!


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## biochemnerd808 (Nov 8, 2014)

Aaaaaand, there is a little leg hanging out, and the hole is twice the size it started out yesterday. I just let the babies hatch at their own pace - though the suspense kills me!


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## Jacqui (Nov 8, 2014)

Put your right foot out... (geeze perhaps I should not have thought that, now I have that hokey pokey thing running in my mind)


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## jskahn (Nov 8, 2014)

Perfect name pokey


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## Moozillion (Nov 9, 2014)

(...peeks at the thread to see what's happening...giggles at 'hokey pokey' reference and name suggestion...tiptoes away quietly to not be a pest! )


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## Yellow Turtle01 (Nov 9, 2014)

Moozillion said:


> (...peeks at the thread to see what's happening...giggles at 'hokey pokey' reference and name suggestion...tiptoes away quietly to not be a pest! )


Now I'm giggling! This is me every time I read a thread I don't participate in... hehehe


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## leigti (Nov 9, 2014)

What is the "normal" number of days it takes for a RT egg to hatch? I can't imagine how excited you must be, I would be checking on it every two minutes or more


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## Jacqui (Nov 9, 2014)

A watched egg never hatches... oh wait, that a watched pot never boils isn't it.


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## biochemnerd808 (Nov 9, 2014)

UPDATE:
Lady's first egg finally hatched! She is a healthy and perfect little Russian tortoise hatchling, and weighs 16g.




This wee baby had NO hurry to get out of her egg. She didn't pip until day 68, and then she sat in there, looking out of the little hole she had made, for 3 days! When we came home from church today, she was finally out of her egg.




She was rolled diagonally inside the egg, so she is still quite lopsided, but that will even out as her shell hardens, and she'll be a normal little oval baby. Look at her little nuchal scute (it's the one right above her head) - it's split in half, making it look like a perfect little heart!




She is dark, and very domed. Her Mom and Dad are both sunflower yellow with black markings, and very domed, so she's going to be a beauty!

Ps: @Tyanna is going to have some exciting news.....


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## biochemnerd808 (Nov 9, 2014)

leigti said:


> What is the "normal" number of days it takes for a RT egg to hatch? I can't imagine how excited you must be, I would be checking on it every two minutes or more



Depending on the incubation temperature and other factors such as the size of the egg and the genetic parentage, a 'normal' RT incubation can take anywhere from 50 days to 100 days. Most hatch around 60-75 days, from what I've heard, and from what I've seen in my own small sample.


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## Carol S (Nov 9, 2014)

So cute. I love Russian hatchlings.


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## Yellow Turtle01 (Nov 10, 2014)

she's so cute! I'll bet the others will be hatching very soon, now... I like her color!


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## Jacqui (Nov 10, 2014)

She is a beauty! I love the newborn lopsided look.


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## Earth Mama (Nov 10, 2014)

I'm passing out cigars!!!! Beautiful!
@Moozillion come look through the nursery window!!!


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## Moozillion (Nov 10, 2014)

OMG!!!! SOOOOO cute!!!
I love the little squished baby look!!!!


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## biochemnerd808 (Nov 10, 2014)

UPDATE: Lady's second egg is pipping today!  The next clutch she laid still has about another 3-4 weeks before they hatch.


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## Yellow Turtle01 (Nov 10, 2014)

biochemnerd808 said:


> UPDATE: Lady's second egg is pipping today!  The next clutch she laid still has about another 3-4 weeks before they hatch.


YAY!!! Does dark color run through the parents too? I love seeing variations, and it's sooo pretty!


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## Tyanna (Nov 10, 2014)

biochemnerd808 said:


> Ps: @Tyanna is going to have some exciting news.....



I just saw this! This little cute baby is going to be mine & I CANNOT wait. My husband and I are thinking of the name "Nova"!


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## biochemnerd808 (Nov 10, 2014)

Yellow Turtle01 said:


> YAY!!! Does dark color run through the parents too? I love seeing variations, and it's sooo pretty!


Both parents are bright sunflower yellow with dark black markings in the middle of each scute. So I expect the babies to start out really dark, and to then get strikingly contrasting markings. 



Tyanna said:


> I just saw this! This little cute baby is going to be mine & I CANNOT wait. My husband and I are thinking of the name "Nova"!


I love the name!


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## Yellow Turtle01 (Nov 10, 2014)

That will be gorgeous!  You have such nice babies


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## Moozillion (Nov 11, 2014)

(...peeks at thread...grins again at adorable baby pics...)


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## Yellow Turtle01 (Nov 11, 2014)

How's the second egg doing?


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## Moozillion (Nov 13, 2014)

Yellow Turtle01 said:


> How's the second egg doing?



YESSS....??


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## Earth Mama (Nov 13, 2014)

Moozillion said:


> YESSS....??


YES? YES?!!!!!


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