Baby Turtle Hatching

[Rob1985]

Hi,
After years, and dozens of my turtles' eggs dying (inside the house, out in the pen, wherever), I went to check on an outdoor nest today and found one pipping. Only survivor from a nest of 8. He/she seems to be struggling a bit to get out of his shell. Both front legs, one hind leg, and the head are out, but he does not seem to be able to make much more progress. He keeps flailing with his front arms, then rests, then tries again. He's actually dragging his whole egg around the small cage with him!

I've been sprinkling him with water periodically to keep him hydrated.

Is there any danger of him dying from exhaustion/over-exertion?

At what point should I intervene and try to gently remove the eggshell?

Thanks in advance.

 

[zovick]

Hi,
After years, and dozens of my turtles' eggs dying (inside the house, out in the pen, wherever), I went to check on an outdoor nest today and found one pipping. Only survivor from a nest of 8. He/she seems to be struggling a bit to get out of his shell. Both front legs, one hind leg, and the head are out, but he does not seem to be able to make much more progress. He keeps flailing with his front arms, then rests, then tries again. He's actually dragging his whole egg around the small cage with him!

I've been sprinkling him with water periodically to keep him hydrated.

Is there any danger of him dying from exhaustion/over-exertion?

At what point should I intervene and try to gently remove the eggshell?

Thanks in advance.

I would recommend gently removing the remaining egg shell from the turtle. I learned from experience that leaving them on the turtle/tortoise can cause quite a deformity if the shell fragment dries out and sticks to the baby.

 

[Rob1985]

I would recommend gently removing the remaining egg shell from the turtle. I learned from experience that leaving them on the turtle/tortoise can cause quite a deformity if the shell fragment dries out and sticks to the baby.

Well , after reading your advice, and watching him drag his egg around the cage a few times, I gently peeled a few small pieces of egg shell off the top of his shell. He shot out of his egg shell like a bat out of hell. I think the the dome of his carapace was getting caught on the egg shell.

Yolk sack is almost completely gone, I'm wondering if he pipped several days ago and couldn't dig out of the dirt, it's been very dry around here until yesterday.

Anyway, thanks again.

 

[zovick]

Well , after reading your advice, and watching him drag his egg around the cage a few times, I gently peeled a few small pieces of egg shell off the top of his shell. He shot out of his egg shell like a bat out of hell. I think the the dome of his carapace was getting caught on the egg shell.

Yolk sack is almost completely gone, I'm wondering if he pipped several days ago and couldn't dig out of the dirt, it's been very dry around here until yesterday.

Anyway, thanks again.

That is quite possible. Good luck with the baby!

 

[jeff kushner]

Please remember to think "bog" with a baby box turtle!
Looking forward to pics!!

 

[Rob1985]

Please remember to think "bog" with a baby box turtle!
Looking forward to pics!!

He looked like he was trying to eat the wet paper towels, so I took them out shortly after picture and just filled half the cage and tilted it to give him some dry spots.

Going to pet store tomorrow to get him some food and some hides. After seeing so many eggs die over the years, I was caught totally unprepared by his arrival.

 

[Rob1985]

Ok, getting worried about this little guy. He's not eating (much). Not sure if he's still 'full' from his yolk sac, although this picture was taken the day after I dug him out of the nest (Sunday 9/29), and it looks to me like most of the yolk sac is gone. I did see what I believe were two tiny poops in his cage a couple days after he got out of his shell. Nothing in the last few days.

I've tried small mealworms, which he looked at very intently at first but did not even attempt to eat them. I got him to eat half a Mazuri pellet this past Saturday (10/5). Hasn't touched them since. I put a small piece of hard-boiled egg in today, and he does not seem very interested.

I've tried to keep handling to a minimum to not stress him out, but I pick him up once a day to clean out his cage.

Cage was 70 degrees, I played around in the last few days and I've gotten it up to 77-79 degrees. It seems to have perked him up a bit, although he still spends a lot of time soaking and/or asleep in the water. Not sure if he thinks it's brumation time or what.

 

[Markw84]

Ok, getting worried about this little guy. He's not eating (much). Not sure if he's still 'full' from his yolk sac, although this picture was taken the day after I dug him out of the nest (Sunday 9/29), and it looks to me like most of the yolk sac is gone. I did see what I believe were two tiny poops in his cage a couple days after he got out of his shell. Nothing in the last few days.

I've tried small mealworms, which he looked at very intently at first but did not even attempt to eat them. I got him to eat half a Mazuri pellet this past Saturday (10/5). Hasn't touched them since. I put a small piece of hard-boiled egg in today, and he does not seem very interested.

I've tried to keep handling to a minimum to not stress him out, but I pick him up once a day to clean out his cage.

Cage was 70 degrees, I played around in the last few days and I've gotten it up to 77-79 degrees. It seems to have perked him up a bit, although he still spends a lot of time soaking and/or asleep in the water. Not sure if he thinks it's brumation time or what.


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Movement stimulates eating for baby turtles. That's why the interest in the mealworm, but mealworms are not a preferred food for new babies. Live Bloodworms or small earthworms are best to start them eating.

Temperatures may be a bit cool. they need to be able to warm up to 80° or so to really be active and eat. Try a basking light over one section. Also put in lots of cover. Fake, plastic plants are best. A baby turtle never would be out in the open and is too stressed to eat if in the open. They live in plant cover.