# 100 DAYS, PIP!



## ALDABRAMAN (Apr 16, 2011)

Here we go again! Our last clutch is starting to PIP. 14 eggs were laid on thursday 01-06-11 @ 1730 hours by one of our best, Sandy. Last month during Hlogic's visition, we candled 12 fertile. If they all develope and hatch it will be a new record for us. We have had 11 hatch out of one clutch several times in the past years, but never 12 in one clutch. Today 04-16-11 @ 0900 hours 2 PIP'd at 100 days. That is another record for us, 104 days has been our ealiest ever and some as long as 130+ days. Here are some initial pictures with the poor camera, the good camera will be back here tonight for real good sharp close up pictures.























 Please feel free to ask questions, interact, or comment. I will compile data and pictures and do a complete overall new thread under the aldabra section at a much later date.


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## dmarcus (Apr 16, 2011)

I am so excited to see all this as it slowly happens...So happy you decided to do this!!!


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## Torty Mom (Apr 16, 2011)

I am excited as well! I learn alot from your posts, I especially appreciate you taking the time to share all your info with us! Plus it's super exciting!! Thanks!!


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## Tom (Apr 16, 2011)

I noticed the section of media closest to the camera , farthest from the eggs, seems a little wetter. Do you add moisture when they start to pip?
I've been burying my eggs about 3/4, but I notice yours are almost on top. What's your reason for this?
I found it interesting that yours is pipping from down near the bottom of the egg. Mine usually pip near the top or middle.

Fascinating stuff here Greg. Thanks to you thousands of people will get to see an Aldabra tortoise hatch. I don't think most of us would get this chance without your generosity. Thank you.


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## Larry C. (Apr 16, 2011)

Awesome!!! Hey Mr. ALDABRAMAN I live in Miami I'm not sure where in Florida you are but one day I would LOVE to take my kids to visit your place if you allow vistors of course.


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## Cameron (Apr 16, 2011)

awesome man! 

not sure why someone would take the time to vote "no". if they don't want to see the thread progress all they have to do is not watch it....


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## ticothetort2 (Apr 16, 2011)

Awesome pics, thanks for sharing the experience!


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## dmarcus (Apr 16, 2011)

I agree with you Cameron...


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## ALDABRAMAN (Apr 16, 2011)

Tom said:


> I noticed the section of media closest to the camera , farthest from the eggs, seems a little wetter. Do you add moisture when they start to pip?
> I've been burying my eggs about 3/4, but I notice yours are almost on top. What's your reason for this?
> I found it interesting that yours is pipping from down near the bottom of the egg. Mine usually pip near the top or middle.
> 
> Fascinating stuff here Greg. Thanks to you thousands of people will get to see an Aldabra tortoise hatch. I don't think most of us would get this chance without your generosity. Thank you.



 Tom, I normally do not add water to the media, I was struggling to get the humidity up in the 90's last week and just added some water to the edge to get it up a little. There is usually no consistancy to where they pip, it usually varies. I usually just place them about half, or so, no real method of palcing the eggs in the vermiculite. Tom do you ever spray your eggs as they start to hatch out with a light mist? I have always kept our humidity between 70 and 80 or so, this is the first time I have maintained the humidity up in the higher levels. Based on another thread, I am looking forward to seeing the egg goo, if it is thick or thin with the higher humidity. I have spoken to another aldabra breeder and read about some zoos, they say more humidity is needed for aldabra eggs. However, all I have spoken too so far, private and zoos papers, claim it takes alot longer for there eggs to hatch. We are consistant with 105 to 130 dyas. This is at odds with most others that have hatched aldabras.

Please, any others have experiences or knowledge about any of this stuff, post your thoughts and experiences, we all learn evry day by others sharing. 

Does anyone ever mist the egg just prior to piping, any species?


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## Jacob (Apr 16, 2011)

IM Happy For You!


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## B K (Apr 16, 2011)

Do the eggs grow like a lizard egg ?When they hatch How old are they when you move them outside and is there a fixed age that you sell them at.


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## DeanS (Apr 16, 2011)

Now this is what I'm talking about! This is going to be a lot of fun...and very educational. All that's missing are pictures of Sandy laying the eggs and you collecting them...


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## ChiKat (Apr 16, 2011)

LOVE this thread and I love all your polls  
Can't wait to see this little guy hatch


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## Candy (Apr 16, 2011)

I have to ask if they've ever laid any eggs that you haven't found and incubated that have hatched? I think it would be cool to go outside and find a baby just walking around, of course with how big the adults are that probably wouldn't be a safe thing.


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## ALDABRAMAN (Apr 16, 2011)

#3 just PIP'd at 1400 hours.














 Note: The two with the small X in pencil are not fertile!


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## dmarcus (Apr 16, 2011)

Is that why the shell is dark at the bottom?


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## ALDABRAMAN (Apr 16, 2011)

B K said:


> Do the eggs grow like a lizard egg ?When they hatch How old are they when you move them outside and is there a fixed age that you sell them at.



I do not know about lizards, we keep them inside until the egg sack is gone and they begin to eat & poop, not long. We then move then outside in a small covered pen where they self thermal regulate and eat what they want. We do give them a variety of lettuce and shopped up cactus, it is always available when they are under 60 days old. We have customers that want them at 30 days old, however most are held for atleast 60 days. 





Candy said:


> I have to ask if they've ever laid any eggs that you haven't found and incubated that have hatched? I think it would be cool to go outside and find a baby just walking around, of course with how big the adults are that probably wouldn't be a safe thing.



We have missed clutches in the past years, and we have never found any wondering about. We are very determined to get them right when they hatch, however circumstances to play a part sometimes.





dalano73 said:


> Is that why the shell is dark at the bottom?



Yes, I am sure! If you look closer, those two are not "chalked up", they tend to turn a whiter color about ten days after they are laid if they are fertile. And, yes you can se the veins in the eggs if candled. Hlogic showed me a better technique and it works great, LOL......





Red Earth Exotics said:


> awesome man!
> 
> not sure why someone would take the time to vote "no". if they don't want to see the thread progress all they have to do is not watch it....



 I think it was a mistake, they pushed the wrong buttom....lol....





DeanS said:


> Now this is what I'm talking about! This is going to be a lot of fun...and very educational. All that's missing are pictures of Sandy laying the eggs and you collecting them...



 I actually have pictures of that clutch, right after we got them. I will find it and post it for you. We take alot of pictures this year in preperation for our book project.


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## Tom (Apr 16, 2011)

I put my eggs in plastic shoe boxes inside my incubators and I pre wet the vermiculite. This works great for me for the entire incubation period. If it seems a little dry, I'll add a little water to the media when I think they are getting close to term. I have not ever needed to spray them. I DO spray them off as I pull them out of the incubator and put them in the brood box with damp paper towels. These darn sulcatas start eating when they yolk sac is still sticking out, so I usually put in some mallow or a lettuce leaf of some sort to keep them from nibbling the paper towels until their yolk sac absorbs.

By contrast, Cory set up his leopards in their incubator nearly identical to the way you do it. He did slightly dampen the substrate, but he also has the little water bowl in there for humidity. Most of his hatched just fine, but the last one came out a little dry and had some very sticky "egg goo" stuck to his nostrils. It scared the crud out of me. I soaked him in a closed shoe box and was able to wipe the viscous material off with a Q-tip. Had I not checked when I did, I fear he might not have made it. So since then, I have been keeping much wetter in Cory's incubator. There are still around 10 more eggs in there, but I don't expect them to hatch.

Now then, will you please share Art's candling technique with us. I'm terrible at candling and I'd really like to be able to estimate how many babies I'm going to get out of my current 4 incubators full! I'm on my way to go dig up another nest today. She's laying right now.


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## ALDABRAMAN (Apr 16, 2011)

Tom said:


> I put my eggs in plastic shoe boxes inside my incubators and I pre wet the vermiculite. This works great for me for the entire incubation period. If it seems a little dry, I'll add a little water to the media when I think they are getting close to term. I have not ever needed to spray them. I DO spray them off as I pull them out of the incubator and put them in the brood box with damp paper towels. These darn sulcatas start eating when they yolk sac is still sticking out, so I usually put in some mallow or a lettuce leaf of some sort to keep them from nibbling the paper towels until their yolk sac absorbs.
> 
> By contrast, Cory set up his leopards in their incubator nearly identical to the way you do it. He did slightly dampen the substrate, but he also has the little water bowl in there for humidity. Most of his hatched just fine, but the last one came out a little dry and had some very sticky "egg goo" stuck to his nostrils. It scared the crud out of me. I soaked him in a closed shoe box and was able to wipe the viscous material off with a Q-tip. Had I not checked when I did, I fear he might not have made it. So since then, I have been keeping much wetter in Cory's incubator. There are still around 10 more eggs in there, but I don't expect them to hatch.
> 
> Now then, will you please share Art's candling technique with us. I'm terrible at candling and I'd really like to be able to estimate how many babies I'm going to get out of my current 4 incubators full! I'm on my way to go dig up another nest today. She's laying right now.



That is great, another clutch! I was being funny, he does like we all do! However, I did struggle to see veins and when we did it, we saw plenty, kinda placed the flashlight (minimag) on the side of the egg, not the top or bottom.


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## dmmj (Apr 16, 2011)

If this question has already been asked then forgive me, but what is your hatch rate? on average.
Nice looking eggs BTW.


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## ALDABRAMAN (Apr 16, 2011)

dmmj said:


> If this question has already been asked then forgive me, but what is your hatch rate? on average.
> Nice looking eggs BTW.



 It varies with each female. As an average, we have several that are low egg count per clutch, 8 to 13, and are high fertility. And, we have some that have a higher egg count per clutch, 14 to 18, they seem to be lower in fertility. Some lay two and three clutches per year and others just lay one. Sandy, the female that this clutch is from, is one that lays two or three times a year and has high fertility. Two years ago she layed three clutches, 11 out of 11 and 11 out of 12 hatched out in two of them and 6 out of 9 hatched out of the third.


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