Leopard tortoise eggs help needed

[littlemozzy1987]

How formed is the baby? Does the baby itself look like a normal hatchling but covered in gue? A tortoise that hatches even days before it is supposed to has a very different look than a fully formed hatchling. If you post pictures of the hatchling we could help decipher which it is.

It is fully formed. It keeps pushing it's head and legs out but not getting any further out. I can see it's sat on an egg sac.

It looks like it's in a bag of gooey veins.
It moves around and stretches whatever the goo is.

Humidity where the baby is sitting is at 99% . Overall in the incubator it's 85%.

 

[diamondbp]

It is fully formed. It keeps pushing it's head and legs out but not getting any further out. I can see it's sat on an egg sac.

It looks like it's in a bag of gooey veins.
It moves around and stretches whatever the goo is.

Humidity where the baby is sitting is at 99% . Overall in the incubator it's 85%.

I would move it to a brooder box with many layers of moist paper towels surrounding it. From what I see it looks like it simply didn't have enough moisture during that last stage of development.

But others may have more experience than I.

 

[littlemozzy1987]

I see two possibilities:
1. Its too wet in there and this caused the egg to swell and hatch early.
2. This egg hatched early for some reason, and its too dry for it to get out normally.

Humidity is one parameter, but incubation media moisture is another. If its too dry then all that stuff in the egg will become like glue. If its too wet too soon the eggs can absorb too much water and pop open too early.

Any insight?

The vermiculite was dampened with lukewarm water a while ago. It's soft and nearly dry again now, the humidity is high in the tub and overall the incubator is reading at 85%.

The veiny sac covering it is sticky, I can see the hatchlings claws and egg tooth so hopefully it will get out itself cos I really don't know how to help it out.

 

[Tom]

The vermiculite was dampened with lukewarm water a while ago. It's soft and nearly dry again now, the humidity is high in the tub and overall the incubator is reading at 85%.

The veiny sac covering it is sticky, I can see the hatchlings claws and egg tooth so hopefully it will get out itself cos I really don't know how to help it out.

My philosophy in most cases is they they have to get out of their egg on their own. If they can't do that, which seldom happens, then they can't survive on their own outside the egg either. Once they step out of their egg, then I give them every advantage of hydration, good food and a proper environment, but they have to take that first step.

 

[Tom]

The vermiculite was dampened with lukewarm water a while ago.

When you say a while ago, do you mean a while ago today, or a few weeks ago?

If the surface of the vermiculite looks and feels dry to you, then it might be time to add a little more water. This is all by feel. I know how it should feel to me from previous successes, but I don't know how to type that feel in words for you to read and understand.

Damp, but not dripping wet...

I let the incubator and media get a little dry once and the babies were having a hard time extracting themselves from their eggs. The normally slippery mucus had become like thick snot and it was almost glue like. The addition of some water, and a very light spray on one baby who had the "snot" covering his nostrils as he struggled to get out of his egg, solved the problem.

I'm not sure if this could be your issue or not.

 

[danipaul71]

Any update on if it's gotten out yet?

 

[littlemozzy1987]

No. She just keeps turning in her egg.
The vermiculite is damp now.
Will get a pic up soon

 

[littlemozzy1987]

When you say a while ago, do you mean a while ago today, or a few weeks ago?

If the surface of the vermiculite looks and feels dry to you, then it might be time to add a little more water. This is all by feel. I know how it should feel to me from previous successes, but I don't know how to type that feel in words for you to read and understand.

Damp, but not dripping wet...

I let the incubator and media get a little dry once and the babies were having a hard time extracting themselves from their eggs. The normally slippery mucus had become like thick snot and it was almost glue like. The addition of some water, and a very light spray on one baby who had the "snot" covering his nostrils as he struggled to get out of his egg, solved the problem.

I'm not sure if this could be your issue or not.

The mucus bag is starting to turn white in some areas and the hatchling is looks like it is trying to push out. I sprayed the baby with a little water and it has made the mucus slippery

 

[Tom]

Are you able to see how big of a yolk sack the baby is sitting on?

 

[littlemozzy1987]

Are you able to see how big of a yolk sack the baby is sitting on?

Yes. It looks fairly large, hopefully it will stay put for a few more days to absorb some more of it

Does it look large to you?

 

[littlemozzy1987]

Are you able to see how big of a yolk sack the baby is sitting on?

The hatchling is lying across the egg now, you can see it's front and back claws.

 

[Tom]

I don't know why the shell opened up so early, but that baby is not ready to hatch yet. Its still got some cooking to do.

 

[littlemozzy1987]

I don't know why the shell opened up so early, but that baby is not ready to hatch yet. Its still got some cooking to do.

If I keep it humid enough, dark and warm, do you think it will stay put?

The whole egg looks ragged. The 5 other eggs are fine, haven't had any issues with them.

 

[Tom]

If I keep it humid enough, dark and warm, do you think it will stay put?

The whole egg looks ragged. The 5 other eggs are fine, haven't had any issues with them.

I've not experienced this before, so I'm straying way out of my lane here…

My inclination is to cover the open portion with something to keep it from drying out long enough for the tortoise to finish developing inside its intact membrane. I don't know if this is even possible or if bacteria will invade since both the soft and hard portion of the egg is removed.

Perhaps @deadheadvet might have some insight?

 

[deadheadvet]

Typically we leave things alone, the goo is an antibacterial natural coating. Leave it be. I only take any shell or vermiculite off the new hatchling. Put in a small dish with damp paper towel and leave it in the incubator for a week or so. The yolk sac will provide nutrition until it is resorbed. As far as defects go, to be determined. They don't all come out perfect, that's nature.

 

[Yvonne G]

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/so-you-cracked-an-egg.128250/

 

[littlemozzy1987]

Typically we leave things alone, the goo is an antibacterial natural coating. Leave it be. I only take any shell or vermiculite off the new hatchling. Put in a small dish with damp paper towel and leave it in the incubator for a week or so. The yolk sac will provide nutrition until it is resorbed. As far as defects go, to be determined. They don't all come out perfect, that's nature.

The hatchling has now got a head and leg sticking out while still sitting on a large egg sac. Is there a risk of rupturing the egg sac on the broken shell? She is sat on wet paper towel at the moment. I have cut an egg box and stuffed damp towel inside and put in the incubator to warm up, Il move the hatchling into this to try to restrain it's movements when it is out of the egg more.

 

[littlemozzy1987]

I've not experienced this before, so I'm straying way out of my lane here…

My inclination is to cover the open portion with something to keep it from drying out long enough for the tortoise to finish developing inside its intact membrane. I don't know if this is even possible or if bacteria will invade since both the soft and hard portion of the egg is removed.

Perhaps @deadheadvet might have some insight?

The hatchling has now got a head and leg sticking out while still sitting on a large egg sac. Is there a risk of rupturing the egg sac on the broken shell? She is sat on wet paper towel at the moment. I have cut an egg box and stuffed damp towel inside and put in the incubator to warm up, Il move the hatchling into this to try to restrain it's movements when it is out of the egg more.

 

[Tom]

The hatchling has now got a head and leg sticking out while still sitting on a large egg sac. Is there a risk of rupturing the egg sac on the broken shell? She is sat on wet paper towel at the moment. I have cut an egg box and stuffed damp towel inside and put in the incubator to warm up, Il move the hatchling into this to try to restrain it's movements when it is out of the egg more.

What is stopping the egg from rolling around?

You should have left the egg in place in the incubator. Let the tortoise sit in its egg in the incubator while it absorbs the yolk sac. When the tortoise walks out of the egg on its own power, then you move it to a warm brooder box with damp pear towels. I've never had a baby injure its yolk sac on its own egg.

 

[littlemozzy1987]

What is stopping the egg from rolling around?

You should have left the egg in place in the incubator. Let the tortoise sit in its egg in the incubator while it absorbs the yolk sac. When the tortoise walks out of the egg on its own power, then you move it to a warm brooder box with damp pear towels. I've never had a baby injure its yolk sac on its own egg.

The egg is in the incubator still in a small tub with towels curled around it (as if it's sat in a donut).
It's just sitting at the moment so hopefully more of the egg sac will be gone by the time it get outs.

I've had hatchlings befor but the egg is so brittle I'm worried it might pierce the sac.