Incubate eggs in the dark?

[benA]

A question for those of you who have hatched Leopard Tortoises - when incubating the eggs, should they be kept in the dark all the time? Does it matter if the incubator is in the same room as the torts, meaning that when the lights are on in the room, light also goes into the incubator?

I have Pardalis Pardalis eggs and since they can hatch anywhere from 5 months to 15 months, I have to check them every day and I can't see in unless I use a flashlight. Does this disturb the eggs?

Thanks for any feedback,
Ben

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Ben:

You raise an interesting question. Eggs in the ground, natural, would not be subject to any light. I've never bothered with that. My incubator is in the kitchen, and when the light's on, its pretty bright in there. I have hatched quite a few different types of turtle/tortoise eggs. I don't know if light bothered them or not, to tell you the truth. But I would think not.

 

[Tom]

My incubators are in the reptile room too. They get light during the day through the little viewing windows. It does not seem to be a problem. If you are worried about it, you can always cover the incubator with a dark towel or sheet.

Now on to the important stuff!!! How many eggs? Where are the pics of the adults? How many pp do you have? Did you do the cooling period first? I got the incubation "recipe" for them from some people that have had great success incubating them.

 

[benA]

Thanks folks for the input. I have to imagine that light must effect the eggs in some way - even if small, but I really don't have way of keeping it dark all the time.

On to your questions Tom, I have two adult P. Pardalis (I posted their growth collage photo a week or two ago). I have hatched just 9 babies out of 30 eggs so far this year from 4 clutches laid last summer and fall. None from her first two clutches. Would love to get better odds. I do cool down, for 30 days @ 60 degrees. would love to here what others are doing with P. Pardalis. I incubate in vermiculite - but how deep in vermiculite? 1/4 the egg, 1/2 the egg, mostly covered? and how damp?

I am incubating 12 new eggs so far this summer.

Tom, what do you do?

 

[Baoh]

It can slightly hasten hatching, but does not appear to impart a negative effect.

 

[Tom]

When I was incubating a clutch over winter in my house, I covered the whole incubator with a dark towel and a blanket, to help hold the heat in better. Works fine and it will keep it dark for you.

Here is the recipe for hatching pp eggs. It worked for me. The female only laid 6 eggs and it was her very first clutch ever. Two went bad and had to be chucked, three never showed any sign of development and one turned into this: http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-My-New-Gpp#axzz1VDmR6lWF

Recipe: 3-4 weeks at "room temp", 2 months at 65F, 3 months at 86F

PLEASE keep me posted on this. I would really love to compare notes and learn from whatever happens. They are notoriously difficult to incubate successfully, but this recipe is from the guys who have had the best success. The breeder that I buy mine from gave up trying to incubate them artificially and has had better success letting them incubate "naturally" in the ground. It takes 12-18 months. Then, at the right time of year (now), he makes hourly patrols of all his pens and collects all of the well hidden babies as soon as possible after they dig their way out of the nest.

Keep in touch!

 

[Neal]

I don't know how much the light affects the development stage. But when they begin to hatch out, if there is any light they can see they will likely become active trying to hide from the light and bolt out of the egg prematurely.