# Here she is!!!!!!!!!!!



## Neal (Nov 21, 2010)

Well, I got home this evening and she had part of her shell exposed. I turned on the light to have a look, and as soon as I did that she BOLTED out of that egg. It threw me back, I had no idea they could move that fast right out of the egg. I hope I didn't screw anything up by turning on the light, but she was moving around so much I had to put her in a small plastic tub with a damp paper towel. The yolk sac is too large for her to actually move around, but she is trying to. Incubated at 88.7F average and has the correct amount of scutes. I hope she makes it, and I hope I'll be able to sleep tonight!

This was after she bolted out.

















Special thanks to Danny for helping me through this process.


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## Hix2008 (Nov 21, 2010)

Congratulations!!! I hope that everything works out. I'm very knew at having a tortoise but learning alot of this site good luck it's so cute


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## onarock (Nov 21, 2010)

Neil, thats a beautiful thing, good job "pops".


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## DeanS (Nov 21, 2010)

Damn Neal! That's GREAT news...Congratulations! And that's the smoothest leopard I've seen...today


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## Isa (Nov 21, 2010)

Congratulation  What an adorable little baby tortoise


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## RianSeeking (Nov 21, 2010)

Congratulations! What a pretty girl!


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## Neal (Nov 21, 2010)

DeanS said:


> Damn Neal! That's GREAT news...Congratulations! And that's the smoothest leopard I've seen...today



I am determined that this one and her brothers & sisters will be the smoothest babcocki's you will ever see.


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## Torty Mom (Nov 21, 2010)

Yea!!!! How exciting, I don't think I would be able to sleep!!! She is GORGEOUS!!!!! Congrats "Pops" you have new babies and a new nickname! LOL!!


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## Neal (Nov 21, 2010)

Torty Mom said:


> Yea!!!! How exciting, I don't think I would be able to sleep!!! She is GORGEOUS!!!!! Congrats "Pops" you have new babies and a new nickname! LOL!!



My mom called it her grand-tortoise.


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## pugsandkids (Nov 21, 2010)

How exciting! Good luck, and have fun.


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## Az tortoise compound (Nov 21, 2010)

Congratulations Neal! Very exciting.


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## Tom (Nov 21, 2010)

Woo hoo! Nice.


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## Candy (Nov 21, 2010)

Beautiful!


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## shmily1605 (Nov 21, 2010)

Wonderful! Congrats


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## laura808 (Nov 21, 2010)

aw!! congratulations!!!! I love her unique shell shape! It gives her character.


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## RV's mom (Nov 22, 2010)

nice indeed! congrats!!


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## Paige Lewis (Nov 22, 2010)

What a gorgeous little hatchling!


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## Marty333 (Nov 22, 2010)

Adorable!! Dibs


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## coreyc (Nov 22, 2010)

Thats awesome Congratulation keep us posted on how he/she is doing


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## egyptiandan (Nov 22, 2010)

She's looking great Neal 

How big is the yolk sack?

Always glad to help 

Danny


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## DeanS (Nov 22, 2010)

Neal Butler said:


> DeanS said:
> 
> 
> > Damn Neal! That's GREAT news...Congratulations! And that's the smoothest leopard I've seen...today
> ...



Neal will rule the world with babcocki...just as Tom will with pardalis!


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## Neal (Nov 22, 2010)

egyptiandan said:


> She's looking great Neal
> 
> How big is the yolk sack?
> 
> ...



The yolk sack was about quarter size last night and about 1/2 an inch thick, it absorbed quite a bit and is now dime size and almost flat. She has started to "expand" out to look like a normal baby. It's amazing how much energy she has, she's all over the place! More pictures tonight.


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## Edna (Nov 22, 2010)

Congrats! OK if I smoke a cigar in your honor?


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## Neal (Nov 22, 2010)

Here she is 24 hours later and nearly completley filled out.












Yolk sac is nearly dried up.












I'm amazed at how active she is, definatley has her father's personality.


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## Tom (Nov 22, 2010)

She's gorgeous Neal. Positively perfect.


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## Neal (Nov 22, 2010)

TortyQueen said:


> Congrats! OK if I smoke a cigar in your honor?



Indeed!


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## Shelli (Nov 23, 2010)

Owww bless!! How super exciting!! I will have to look at your past posts to see how this all came about.. lol


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## froghaven5 (Nov 23, 2010)

How exciting! Congratulations!


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## Sweetness_bug (Nov 23, 2010)

Amazing!!


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## ElfDa (Dec 7, 2010)

Neal Butler said:


> My mom called it her grand-tortoise.



that is almost as adorable as the photos!
I'm lucky I didn't squeal, here at my desk in the cube farm! lol

That is one cute tortie!!! <3 <3 <3


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## Jessicap (Dec 7, 2010)

Congratulations! she is beautiful.


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## Skyler Nell (Dec 7, 2010)

Wow thats so awesome!
She is SO pretty 
congrats Neal


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## Neal (Dec 7, 2010)

Thanks, I wish her 20 something siblings would hurry up, they sure are taking their sweet a** time.  138 days incubating.


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## ElfDa (Dec 7, 2010)

man, i wish i could have one of your beebees! <3 <3 <3


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## onarock (Dec 7, 2010)

Neal Butler said:


> Thanks, I wish her 20 something siblings would hurry up, they sure are taking their sweet a** time.  138 days incubating.



Wow Neal, you have twenty something eggs all at 138 days..


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## Neal (Dec 7, 2010)

Well not all, but that was the first clutch of 7 eggs, two exploded and one hatched. They are the ones that are most developed though.


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## onarock (Dec 7, 2010)

Neal Butler said:


> Well not all, but that was the first clutch of 7 eggs, two exploded and one hatched. They are the ones that are most developed though.



Yeah, I've had eggs explode before. Is she your first hatchling? And if so are you going to keep her?


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## Neal (Dec 7, 2010)

Yes she is my first that I have "bred" so to speak. To be quite honest I don't have loads of experience raising hatchlings. I have always avoided hatchlings just because they are so difficult (see my most recent thread). In my opinion hatchlings should really be left to more experienced keepers or more dedicated keepers than just anyone who walks into a pet shop and says - hey those look cool! So, before I go out and sell a bunch I want to make sure I can give people the support they need from my own experience. I am perfectly capable of taking care of all the babies I produce for however long, but at this point if I sell them it won't be until they're after this fragile stage.


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## ElfDa (Dec 7, 2010)

how long would you say is the fragile stage?

Penny turned a year, this month (in all likelihood).
She's still quite petite, but is growing nicely, and quite cheerful!


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## Neal (Dec 7, 2010)

Some other people with more experience might be able to add more credible information on when the fragile stage ends. It of course varies from tortoise to tortoise, I'm thinking anything past a year is pretty solid. Size might be a better indicator than age, I would say 3 times the hatchling size to throw out a number.


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## ElfDa (Dec 7, 2010)

Neal Butler said:


> Some other people with more experience might be able to add more credible information on when the fragile stage ends. It of course varies from tortoise to tortoise, I'm thinking anything past a year is pretty solid. Size might be a better indicator than age, I would say 3 times the hatchling size to throw out a number.



[ponders the size of Penny]
how big do they hatch? 
this is how big Penny is:






they said she hatched in '09.
that's my pinky finger she's standing above; the photo is a few months old, mind you, but they don't grow *that* fast, so I figure we're fine.

I kind of assume she was a Christmas hatch or something...


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## Neal (Dec 7, 2010)

I actually haven't measured my hatchling, she's about 1.5 - 2 inches. 

You's looks a little small for being a year old but they all grow at different rates so I would say you're alright. She looks good!


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## gummybearpoop (Dec 7, 2010)

Very nice and congrats Neal!

I think baby leopards seem pretty fragile, especially compared to baby burmese stars and radiateds.


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