Air cell moved to the bottom

[Fastfella]

Hello, hoping for some help here,
Russian tortoise eggs, laid 1 month apart.
32C (89.6F) with 75% humidity on average
The younger one is ok thus far.
The older one is 69 days old.
I candle them without lifting or disturbing too much once per week. Otherwise the incubator is not disturbed at all.
The air cell was at the top on the older egg last friday, today it has moved to the bottom. The egg was definitely NOT accidentally placed upside down because it has a marker on top of the shell.
So embryo is virtually sitting on the air cushion now. Ive hatched eggs from my tortoises in the past but Ive never seen anything like this before - over a week the air cell and the embryo switched places entirely.
To ask “shall I be worried” is probably pointless because I don’t suppose anything can be done about it.
Just curious if anyone ever seen anything like this and whats the usual outcome.
Thanks

 

[The_Four_Toed_Edward]

I will tag @Tom maybe he has experienced something similar

 

[Fastfella]

I scoped it today and took a photo, it looks the same. (Ignore the wax on the top; this medium size female lays ginormous eggs and often they crack on the way out. They usually develop fine if treated with diluted iodine and then sealed with wax shortly after laying).
the embryo is alive and still probably has good 10 days at least of development ahead.
My only thought it that this is natural for late stage embryos to move on specific occasions closer to hatching and maybe sometimes they get confused. After all, eggs buried in soild would not be in a perfect horizontal position and surely some develop in tilted or even vertical position in natural environment.
I read that some hatchlings sometimes emerge upside down and wonder if this is whats gonna happen to this one.

If anyone has any ideas/experience with such phenomenon please share your thoughts.

I shall keep you all posted.

 

[TammyJ]

Good luck!

 

[TammyJ]

Hello, hoping for some help here,
Russian tortoise eggs, laid 1 month apart.
32C (89.6F) with 75% humidity on average
The younger one is ok thus far.
The older one is 69 days old.
I candle them without lifting or disturbing too much once per week. Otherwise the incubator is not disturbed at all.
The air cell was at the top on the older egg last friday, today it has moved to the bottom. The egg was definitely NOT accidentally placed upside down because it has a marker on top of the shell.
So embryo is virtually sitting on the air cushion now. Ive hatched eggs from my tortoises in the past but Ive never seen anything like this before - over a week the air cell and the embryo switched places entirely.
To ask “shall I be worried” is probably pointless because I don’t suppose anything can be done about it.
Just curious if anyone ever seen anything like this and whats the usual outcome.
Thanks

@zovick

 

[zovick]

I scoped it today and took a photo, it looks the same. (Ignore the wax on the top; this medium size female lays ginormous eggs and often they crack on the way out. They usually develop fine if treated with diluted iodine and then sealed with wax shortly after laying).
the embryo is alive and still probably has good 10 days at least of development ahead.
My only thought it that this is natural for late stage embryos to move on specific occasions closer to hatching and maybe sometimes they get confused. After all, eggs buried in soild would not be in a perfect horizontal position and surely some develop in tilted or even vertical position in natural environment.
I read that some hatchlings sometimes emerge upside down and wonder if this is whats gonna happen to this one.

If anyone has any ideas/experience with such phenomenon please share your thoughts.

I shall keep you all posted.

The baby is probably moving around inside the shell and the motion has caused the air cell to change position. Not sure if the baby could possibly drown in the albumin if unable to breathe or not, though.

I don't think there is anything to do other than to just wait it out and hope for the best.

Good luck!

 

[Fastfella]

The baby is probably moving around inside the shell and the motion has caused the air cell to change position. Not sure if the baby could possibly drown in the albumin if unable to breathe or not, though.

I don't think there is anything to do other than to just wait it out and hope for the best.

Good luck!

Yeah thanks, thats my thought exactly, I shall just monitor and see. Its been around 72 days now so I assume the hatching will take place as usual for this female’s eggs at around 83-84 days. I shall keep you all posted

 

[Fastfella]

It has positioned itself back in the “normal” way and started hatching last night. 12 hrs later it pushed some shell bits out but still pipping. I have increased humidity to 90%

 

[Fastfella]

thanks everyone for the support and suggestions, little Marshell is out of the egg now.

 

[Ink]

Congratulations! Love the name!

 

[zovick]

thanks everyone for the support and suggestions, little Marshell is out of the egg now.

That is great news. Congratulations on the successful emergence of your newest baby!

 

[TammyJ]

Yay!

 

[Fastfella]

Today Marshell was transferred to his own personal tank, he (or shall I suggest she, as Ive incubated for a female) had the first drink and meal. And had a photo with dad taken.

The second egg seems to be developing well and with the similar incubation period as for this egg I’d assume it will hatch in around 25 days.

 

[zovick]

Today Marshell was transferred to his own personal tank, he (or shall I suggest she, as Ive incubated for a female) had the first drink and meal. And had a photo with dad taken.

The second egg seems to be developing well and with the similar incubation period as for this egg I’d assume it will hatch in around 25 days.

Looking good! Hope your other egg hatches also.

 

[Fastfella]

Marshell is is doing well. He/she is eating well and getting bigger. At night he burs into his humid hide to make sure his scutes grow nicely without any doming.
The second egg is due to hatch in 13-14 days

 

[zovick]

Marshell is is doing well. He/she is eating well and getting bigger. At night he burs into his humid hide to make sure his scutes grow nicely without any doming.
The second egg is due to hatch in 13-14 days

The tortoise looks great. Hoping the second egg will hatch around the beginning of April.

 

[Fastfella]

Being 9 days faster than Marshell, little Lint has started hatching this afternoon. Its night now in London, so I shall check on him in the morning.
No abnormal movement of the embryo was noticed with this egg. Perhaps, Marshell was unique in such behaviour.

 

[TammyJ]

That's great. And a really cute picture!

 

[Fastfella]

Lint is fully hatched. He/she will be transferred to Marshell’s tank tomorrow morning.

 

[Fastfella]