# Russian tortoise hatch season 2015 has begun!



## biochemnerd808 (May 23, 2015)

This year's Russian tortoise babies have started to hatch! So far, one completely blond little one (the color of mustard, no black markings!) and one medium dark one have hatched. Same parents (Timmy girl + Roz), and both 16g. 
The blond one surprised me - I wasn't expecting any hatches for another week. When I looked in the incubator in the morning a few days ago, I saw an empty egg, and no hatchling anywhere. Small moment of panic... then I found her dug in under the substrate under her egg. The darker one hatched right on time for World Turtle Day!

Here are some quick cell phone pics. I'll take some better quality ones to add later! 






























I can't wait to meet the other little ones that are due to hatch in the next 3 weeks...  All 6 fertile eggs are from my favorite female, Timmy girl. The other females likely won't lay until later this Summer or Fall.


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## Yvonne G (May 24, 2015)

Russian tortoise babies are sure cute little things.


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## Carol S (May 24, 2015)

They are adorable!! Thanks for sharing.


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## Tidgy's Dad (May 29, 2015)

Absolutely stunning.
Thank you.


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## bouaboua (May 29, 2015)

I like Russian baby tortoise also. Sure is a cute little thing.


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## Tom (May 29, 2015)

Neat color. Its a "Golden" russian!!!


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## Blakem (May 29, 2015)

Congrats! Beautiful babies.


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## biochemnerd808 (May 30, 2015)

Well, all 3 from this clutch have hatched, and the next 3 are due next week or early the week after. We (my kids and I) got to watch the 3rd of them hatch, and I captured it on video. For some reason, TFO is not letting me upload it, so this pic will have to do: 




That little one sat inside its egg with just its head and one front leg poking out for 2 days. We just let it do its thing. On day 3, it finally hatched. A beautiful, healthy, dark baby. 

Here are all 3 getting their daily soak during our breakfast:




The lighting is weird in that pic - the 2 dark ones look the same as the light one. Oh well. We have dubbed them 'gold dot,' 'green dot,' and 'red dot' due to the little nail polish dot I put on each of them to be able to tell them apart. I easily recognize the blond one, but the two darker ones are nearly identical. No funky scutes in this clutch... sorry!


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## Tidgy's Dad (May 31, 2015)

Adorable.
I don't think you can post videos straight to here.
I understand you have to put them on youtube and then transfer it from there to the page here.


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## biochemnerd808 (May 31, 2015)

Tidgy's Dad said:


> Adorable.
> I don't think you can post videos straight to here.
> I understand you have to put them on youtube and then transfer it from there to the page here.


I was trying to post the video by using Photobucket. Oh well, I will try YouTube later.


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## biochemnerd808 (Jun 7, 2015)

...baby #4 hatched today, and #5 is pipping.  Hooray! Another blondie, too. Though the other light colored one has darkened quite a bit, so I suspect this one will, too...


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## Killerrookie (Jun 7, 2015)

biochemnerd808 said:


> ...baby #4 hatched today, and #5 is pipping.  Hooray! Another blondie, too. Though the other light colored one has darkened quite a bit, so I suspect this one will, too...


They are so cute when little!! It's so adorable!


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## swatsx (Jun 17, 2015)

Nice congrats! What is the substrate you use in the incubator? Moss?


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## biochemnerd808 (Jun 17, 2015)

swatsx said:


> Nice congrats! What is the substrate you use in the incubator? Moss?



I use vermiculite. The incubation medium is completely dry. I maintain air humidity of 80% by placing 2 containers of water in the incubator.


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## clintdowns (Jun 18, 2015)

So you do not wet the vermiculite at all? What type of incubator do you use? Can you post some pics of your setup?


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## Joo (Jun 19, 2015)




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## biochemnerd808 (Jun 21, 2015)

clintdowns said:


> So you do not wet the vermiculite at all? What type of incubator do you use? Can you post some pics of your setup?


 
I follow the instructions @kanalomele gave me back in the day. I do not wet the vermiculite at all. Russian tortoise eggs are porous enough that if the vermiculite is wet, the eggs absorb water, swell, and crack. Then fungal spores and bacteria can get in, and the egg dies (and/or explodes). 
With bone dry medium, but 80% air humidity created by having 2 wide mouth containers of warm water in the incubator (refilled every 2 weeks or so), I have had a near 100% hatch rate. 
I use a Hovabator, but I pile quilts around it (leaving air holes uncovered) to further insulate it, avoiding temp fluctuations. I use a Hydrofarm digital thermostat to control the temps, rather than the dial thermostat. Easy to set up - I just plug the incubator plug into the Hydrofarm thermostat, plug that into the wall, put the probe onto the surface of the incubation medium, and set the thermostat to 89 degrees. The thermometer I put in there in the past records max/min, and the fluctuation was 88-91, which is all within viable and female temp sex range. Very reliable! 

I hope this helps. No time to take pics and upload right now (sorry, life is so busy!), but hopefully the verbal explanation helps?


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## clintdowns (Aug 3, 2015)

That helped out alot. I just had my first egg laid


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