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- Oct 11, 2010
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Speke's Hingeback babies - more pics
- Thread starter Weldd
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Pretty babies!
Look at that beautiful little mug....love it 
Very nice! No we want details, how many eggs in the clutch? How long did it take? How did you incubate them? You know ALL the details.
- Joined
- Oct 11, 2010
- Messages
- 296
Ok, here goes. There were 6 eggs to start which represented 2 clutches of 3 eggs each. I tried a conventional incubation regimen - 86F, in moist vermiculite without any success. After 8 - 10 weeks, none of the eggs showed any development.
I've had good success over the years with Pyxis tortoises so putting eggs through a diapause is something I'm comfortable with. I had gotten the adults from Michael Ogle and the diapause was his suggestion. So I moved the eggs into the wine cooler I use for Pyxis eggs.
One of the eggs fell apart during the diapause leaving 5 eggs. I warmed the rest up after 8 weeks to mid 80's again. After 3-4 weeks, I began to see early signs of development in 4 of the remaining 5 eggs. After a few more weeks, the undeveloped egg fell apart as well.
Development progressed in the remaining 4 eggs. Unfortunately, 2 of the eggs developed cracks, so I presume that I was keeping them too moist. I didn't identify the crack early enough in one egg and it was lost. Thankfully, the other egg wasn't bad and I covered that crack with a steri-strip and that egg did just fine.
One of the eggs pipped last week. That hatchling had a large yolk remaining so he got set up in a cup with moist paper towel and he resorbed the entire yolk no problem. He weighed in at 18 gms. The egg with the crack/steri-strip pipped away from the crack. He emerged with the yolk completely resorbed and weighed 22 grams. Big baby.
I still have one egg yet to pip. It developed fine though so I will not trouble it for now.
That's the story. 9 months from start to finish. Hopefully, if I get eggs this season, I will have better success. I've seen a ton of breeding activity so my fingers are crossed.
Can't wait for another chance!
Will...
I've had good success over the years with Pyxis tortoises so putting eggs through a diapause is something I'm comfortable with. I had gotten the adults from Michael Ogle and the diapause was his suggestion. So I moved the eggs into the wine cooler I use for Pyxis eggs.
One of the eggs fell apart during the diapause leaving 5 eggs. I warmed the rest up after 8 weeks to mid 80's again. After 3-4 weeks, I began to see early signs of development in 4 of the remaining 5 eggs. After a few more weeks, the undeveloped egg fell apart as well.
Development progressed in the remaining 4 eggs. Unfortunately, 2 of the eggs developed cracks, so I presume that I was keeping them too moist. I didn't identify the crack early enough in one egg and it was lost. Thankfully, the other egg wasn't bad and I covered that crack with a steri-strip and that egg did just fine.
One of the eggs pipped last week. That hatchling had a large yolk remaining so he got set up in a cup with moist paper towel and he resorbed the entire yolk no problem. He weighed in at 18 gms. The egg with the crack/steri-strip pipped away from the crack. He emerged with the yolk completely resorbed and weighed 22 grams. Big baby.
I still have one egg yet to pip. It developed fine though so I will not trouble it for now.
That's the story. 9 months from start to finish. Hopefully, if I get eggs this season, I will have better success. I've seen a ton of breeding activity so my fingers are crossed.
Can't wait for another chance!
Will...
Very cute babies. Thanks for all the details, great info!
Nice.
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