46 days ago, my prettiest polka-dotted three-toe laid the first turtle eggs I've ever seen. After reading extensively about incubation on the forums, I set them up in a plastic tub inside a small cooler with several inches of water and an aquarium thermometer. They have been sitting in the same dirt in which they were laid, temperatures have been on the high end of 86-89 degrees and humidity has always been over 95%. In the last week or so I've noticed tiny bugs in the soil. I only check the eggs every few days, and have been trying to set them and forget about them.
Last night I found a broken egg, and on closer inspection there is definitely a tiny turtle beak poking out. The baby is alive and moving, but I thought 46 days was way too early for hatching. I read more here on the forum and wanted to tape/vaseline/neosporin him back into the egg, but his little nose is poking out and I don't want to put anything on that. The inside of the egg looks pretty empty.
Do I have a super-premature baby? Is there any chance he's going to make it? He's still moving this morning. Should I move him to a sterile environment?
Should I try to candle the other three eggs? Move them to a cleaner substrate with no tiny bugs? Leave them alone?
Last night I found a broken egg, and on closer inspection there is definitely a tiny turtle beak poking out. The baby is alive and moving, but I thought 46 days was way too early for hatching. I read more here on the forum and wanted to tape/vaseline/neosporin him back into the egg, but his little nose is poking out and I don't want to put anything on that. The inside of the egg looks pretty empty.
Do I have a super-premature baby? Is there any chance he's going to make it? He's still moving this morning. Should I move him to a sterile environment?
Should I try to candle the other three eggs? Move them to a cleaner substrate with no tiny bugs? Leave them alone?
I leave mine alone until all their yolk sac has absorbed. Then I move them into another tub with wet paper towels but still keep them tub in the incubator. Once they start eating I move them into their own enclosure. Congrats and good luck! 
