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    Botfly Infection

    Thought I'd pop in with an update. I ended up removing another 8 or so larvae from my tortoise but as of a couple days ago the holes healed shut (meaning no more larvae). He ended up with a fair amount of scar tissue around the opening in his body cavity but other than that he is fine.
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    Botfly Infection

    I don't want to minimize the issue because the botfly infection can be bad, especially if secondary bacterial infections occur, but treatment is straight-forward and highly successful. My female tortoise with the issue last year is my breeding female; I tried to give her the season off but she...
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    Botfly Infection

    I found a couple old threads on botflies here but I'm checking in to see if any new information is available. For those unaware, botflies lay their eggs in a way that causes the maggots to mature under the skin of an animal. The maggot will open a breathing hole in the animal's skin, and the...
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    Help with identifying type.........

    In their defense, I did just displace them from various hides in multiple enclosures to arrange the picture. They're typically rather outgoing, but late morning in the summer isn't peak activity time for them. During the early morning, late evening, light rain, or just a cool day, they'd be...
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    Help with identifying type.........

    I initially saw your ad but was disappointed when I saw the pictures. As pointed out, the tortoise is wild caught. That doesn't mean that she won't be a good addition to a breeding group, but for those in the market for CBB that are looking to produce f2's, she's not a good fit. For reference...
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    Interesting hatchling homeana

    Couldn't say why the hinges develop when they do. I do know that hatchlings attempt to seal their shells but are not capable of doing so. Adults and sub-adults close up quite well and have visible hinges across the top of their shells. Hingebacks make up such a small proportion of tortoises...
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    Interesting hatchling homeana

    Most of the info I have on these tortoises is more in the area of working knowledge, but here goes... As far as I'm aware, the tortoises are still classified as kinixys homeana, also called the Home's hingeback. They are from the forests of west-central Africa. I believe that they are the...
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    Interesting hatchling homeana

    My approach wasn't as surgical, I may pick up a couple supplies for next year's hatchlings. The little guy is doing well, just one of the bunch. He's the top left one in the picture with four tortoises.
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    Interesting hatchling homeana

    Glad to get confirmation that they require separation. I didn't want to separate them just to learn that it would have been better not to. I tied off the yolk at what seemed to be a good natural breaking point and cut off the dead twin past that. The living one is quite energetic. It'll be...
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    Interesting hatchling homeana

    Thus far this year my breeding pair of homeana has produced six hatchlings. The seventh hatchling, from the last egg remaining, pipped a couple days ago. The baby was very slow to come out of the egg but finally came out wearing its eggshell as a hat. When I removed the eggshell I believe...
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    Homeana Eggs

    Looks like baby #1 will be taking food in the next couple days. #2 is still remaining in one spot absorbing the last of his yolk. But this evening I noticed that #3 has decided to join us. Very alert little guy, tracked me with his eyes and even yawned a couple times. He's quite possibly...
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    Homeana Eggs

    He gets the same food as my adults, mazuri, fruits, squashes, greens, worms. He also eats his isopod cleaning crew.
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    Homeana Eggs

    The yearling is 60g, the hatchling is 16g. Hatchling #2 is finally out but he has a good-sized yolk sack so I'm trying not to bother him.
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    Homeana Eggs

    One is out. Burrowed a bit into the substrate. Took a quick comparison shot with my hatching from last year.
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    Homeana Eggs

    Well, I can't count them until they're out, but 2 of the clutch of 4 have pipped.
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    Homeana Eggs

    Sorry for the much delayed response... I am also not "incubating" mine per se. They're in a plastic shoebox at the same temp that I keep my adult hingebacks at. To date I only have the one hatchling and I'm outside the expected range for any of the others to hatch; however, after months of...
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    Homeana Eggs

    In my limited experience, all the eggs appear to be expanding. The difference with the two that contained tortoises is that they grew oblong, rather then just getting equally bigger on all dimensions. Realistically, at this point I expect that the two eggs that were laid at the same time as my...
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    Homeana Eggs

    No new hatchlings yet. My tortoise did give me 4 more eggs, though. It was all one laying, I'm surprised they all fit in her! Took a picture of mom and her baby.
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    Homeana Eggs

    Well, he's eating now. I caught him munching on his mazuri.
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    Homeana Eggs

    I've been keeping my eye out for poop as a signal that food is needed but haven't seen any yet. Hasn't stopped me from offering food but I can't really tell if anything has been eaten yet. I swear that the little guy camps in the food dish just to keep me guessing. I have also stocked the...
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