critique my eggs, please (Now incl. pipping and popping)

[theguy67]

No visible chalking. Or it's very gradual and minimal.
I find them (OR HAVEN'T!) in a few ways. Either observing a female digging or hanging around an area or by looking at areas that seem disturbed. I have red mulch on the ground and sometimes I can see that it has been dug up. Or an area that I have found eggs in previously. Such as inside of a broken very large pot and under a big construction pipe.
All of the 21 that I now have (27 found) have been found in the shade.

I suppose if you find them late, you wouldn't observe much chalking; thus making it a bit more challenging to tell if they did chalk. For me, chalking is easier to see when candling, although I try not to pick up the eggs. I was lucky enough to catch my female in the act of digging. I would think you would have seen some sign of an embryo by now. I've had infertile eggs (or failed eggs) darken inside before they split (gecko, bearded dragon, and tortoise), BUT I have also read reports that some "infertile eggs" have developed and hatched to the breeder's surprise.

I assume the two I have that are chalking will start developing soon. I think I saw an embryo the other day. If you would like pictures for comparison let me know. I know the internet provides some, although a small collection, for redfoots, but they are usually older posts. Ones you can't really interact with.

I find it amazing how well they put the substrate and mulch back. The eggs I accidentally found last week we're totally hidden. Top soil back then the mulch(orchid bark and Cyprus mulch) back on the top layer absolutely perfect.
Also Ed. Have you watched them dig the nest closely. They test the nest with there feet constantly. Are they checking for depth,nest size,warmth, humidity or making sure there is nothing hard that will break the eggs.
Do they know instinctively howmany eggs they are about to lay for nest size?

I've observed a wild red-eared slider laying in the same exact way. By time she's done, its looks more like the burrow of a beetle than a turtle nest. I am going devise a way to catch my girls in the act as I am not always there to follow them around. My redfoot laid in the same manor when I was able to observe her.

I also had the same question about clutch size. I've found a clutch of 6, and 3. Do they just dig the nest deeper as they age? Or do they know how big the clutch is?

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Some of the sites have been loosely packed and some have been hard packed. Like the female peed on the mound and packed it down.
Some are shallow. Some are deep.
I've found two eggs and I've found as many as six. I also found just one laying on top of the grass!
It is very interesting.
I wouldn't be surprised if there wasn't some very instinctual aspect to it. When, how, where and how deep.

 

[Anyfoot]

I have an old Brazilian with no back toenails.
I was curious how she would deal with digging a nest(if she ever did). Anyway about 2 months ago she laid. She had peed in the nesting site that much it was like a mud bath. Has she learnt that she needs it super wet because she has no toenails to excavate harder grounds.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Many years ago, when I was first setting up the enclosure, I placed dozens of 16" flat cement pavers under the soil. In those areas the tortoises can't lay eggs.
I have removed eight of those and dug up the soil and mixed it back in loose. I placed one of the half drainage pipes back on top of it.
I'm hoping that this will be a new bury spot . It seems ideal. 32"x 32".

 

[theguy67]

Many years ago, when I was first setting up the enclosure, I placed dozens of 16" flat cement pavers under the soil. In those areas the tortoises can't lay eggs.
I have removed eight of those and dug up the soil and mixed it back in loose. I placed one of the half drainage pipes back on top of it.
I'm hoping that this will be a new bury spot . It seems ideal. 32"x 32".

I've thought about doing something like that, although it would make other things more difficult like landscaping, planting, etc. I suppose it depends on preference and priorities.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

18 eggs in my incubator and at least 6 outside in the pen.
I've got a second uvb light and fish tank semi ready.
What type of substrate?
Paper towels?
The first of them should either hatch or explode some time soon.

 

[Anyfoot]

18 eggs in my incubator and at least 6 outside in the pen.
I've got a second uvb light and fish tank semi ready.
What type of substrate?
Paper towels?
The first of them should either hatch or explode some time soon.

Ed. Do you mean in your enclosure once the the eggsack is absorbed, or do you mean whilst the egg sack is being absorbed.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Ed. Do you mean in your enclosure once the the eggsack is absorbed, or do you mean whilst the egg sack is being absorbed.

Whilst.
Just hatched.

 

[Anyfoot]

Whilst.
Just hatched.

I can only tell you how I was told and seems OK up to now.
Soon as I saw mine pip I moved them to a separate container within the incubator. This container had moist paper towel on the bottom. About 3 layers of plain white paper towel. Once hatched I removed most of the eggshell and added a few weeds just in case they wanted a munch. I also gave them a little spray every day with Luke warm water so not to dry out. Soon as egg sack was absorbed and vertually healed I moved them to the enclosure. (About 5 days I think).

There may well be better ways, I'm still learning, 2 things I didn't like was, the sharp toe nails did rip the towel after a while so maybe a better quality towel was needed.
Also I noticed eggs did roll on flat towel as they hatch, so I actually put some scrunched up towel around the egg to hold them steady until hatched. Maybe I took them off the vermiculite too early, but was worried they would eat some.
I'm interested in others opinions or methods.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Thanks. that vermiculite is some clingy, nasty stuff.
I think next time, if there is a next time, I'm going to go with my potting soil.
I have no issues with humidity as the whole thing has never been below 72 % and mostly is around 85%.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

I just "candled" all of the eggs again and found that some are truly weird. Some are clear with dark masses. A few no light will pass through at all. Some are still transparent pink or yellow including two that I found to be cracked and leaking.
I removed the two.
Clearly rotten. Both from November.
Discouraged, I did a mini dig outside and quickly uncovered these two HUGE eggs. These are every bit as large as chicken eggs but rounder.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

For comparison.
The two new eggs have 2 yellow dots.
There is one on each side on the front row.

 

[Anyfoot]

Well from your candling discription it sounds like you have some variation so hopefully some will be fertile.
Do you know how many of your females have actually laid eggs? I wonder if the large eggs are from a different female.

 

[Beasty_Artemis]

I really want to see somebody's giant eggs actually hatch!

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Two females of five have been observed laying. My largest female seems to lay larger ones each time.
How wide is a baby hatchling Redfoot?
Is the shell curved and then flatten out?
I can not imagine a baby tortoise hatching from these eggs. Even the two, new largest ones.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Most have been around 32 to 35 mm.
These two are over 42mm.
I've never seen a 32mm baby tortoise.....

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Does anyone have photos of the newest and tiniest Redfoot babies?
How tiny are they when they hatch?

 

[Anyfoot]

Does anyone have photos of the newest and tiniest Redfoot babies?
How tiny are they when they hatch?

Can't find my measurement records at the moment. But they were around 20g in weight.

 

[Anyfoot]

Does anyone have photos of the newest and tiniest Redfoot babies?
How tiny are they when they hatch?

Just had one hatch Ed. Only took 106 days.
It's 1.5" long(still curled up to shape of egg)

 

[Anyfoot]

Does anyone have photos of the newest and tiniest Redfoot babies?
How tiny are they when they hatch?

Just had another hatch it's only 1.25" long. How's your eggs looking.