Hatched a "bad" egg

[Meg90]

This Crested Gecko egg sprung a leak on 11/16/09. Its poorly calcified as you can see in the pictures. The textured parts are thicker, which didn't allow the egg to stretch and grow to its full capacity, and are also to blame for the leak. It looked like a pucker in the shell, and in the very center of it was a tiny pinprick hole.

I panicked a little bit about it, wiped the egg clean of two or three drops of the liquid, and then it stopped oozing. I left it in the incubator and it never collapsed, but I was just waiting for it to go bad. Its clutch mate developed until the egg would not allow it, and then died. I assumed it was only a matter or time.

11/16/09--it lost about 3-4 drops of fluid this size.

The other two eggs seen in the incubator are over 90 days. You can see even in these pictures that number 7 is gigantic. By comparison, notice how small number 1's egg was. This baby is soooooo much smaller than the two I had hatch last month. (Nausicaa could kick this baby's butt easy)

This baby looks to either be a nice flame with lots of spots, or maybe a harley with nice spots. It still has the baby shed in this picture.

Its very tiny--the egg didn't get as big as it could have.

Its not as active as my others have been, but then again, its only about 3 hours old. But warm thoughts about the baby are welcome. I really hope she makes it. She's a little miracle

And here's an empty egg pic, so ya'll can see how craptastic the shell was. This is another sperm retention baby like my other four hatchlings are. That little triangle of smooth shell is one of the only parts that was correctly calcified.

This brings my count up to 14 geckos total (2 are gargoyle, the rest crested). I hope this baby makes it.

 

[ChiKat]

Awww she truly is a miracle!! Fingers crossed that she makes it. Keep us posted!
Stay strong little one!

 

[dmmj]

I have often heard of so called "bad" eggs hatching (turtle tortoise gecko and others). I have always felt as long as it does not smell then keep it and see what happens, gratz on the baby.

 

[Meg90]

Yuppers, this is another story to add to the age old saying of "never throw it out". I was sure it was a gonner once it started leaking and didn't hatch in the next few days. But mother nature had other plans!

 

[egyptiandan]

Looking good Meg I'm sure she'll do great.

I've seen and hatched some really nasty looking (green, yellow, brown and fuzzy) snake eggs and you can do it with lizards. I have never seen a "bad" looking turtle or tortoise egg hatch though. They just don't seem to have the resiliency that other reptile eggs have.

Danny

 

[Meg90]

Number 7 is a perfect crested egg. What I'm considering "bad" is the calcification of the shell. I recently lost an entire clutch (2 eggs) to over calcification. The babies made it to term, but the shell was too thick to allow them to hatch out. It was heartbreaking to see full formed babies with no life in them. I was sure it was going to happen with that egg, esp coupled with the leak. Its my second miracle baby to date. I had another hatch this summer from a dented egg, which means the egg and the baby inside was starting to dry out from improper humidity (the incubator had a faulty seal).

These geckos hatch so tiny its hard to think of how hardy they have to be to even escape their own egg. I love this species though. The are completely fascinating, and I cannot wait to try my hand at Gargoyle Geckos.

 

[Stephanie Logan]

Well, she sure is a good-looking little accidental hatchling, anyway. Cool color patterns! "Look at me, I wasn't even supposed to hatch and now I'm here and prettier than you!"

Go Gecko girl!

 

[Madortoise]

Oh boy, I have been missing some actions. Congratulations, Meg, for this miracle baby. She's beautiful. She/he sort of looks like mine. So glad she/he made it!

 

[Floof]

Congrats, I'm so glad to see such a bad egg make it. I hope s/he does well for you!

 

[Meg90]

I've named this little one Naytiri. She's a spunky thing now at one week old. She jumps like crazy and gives me "the face" that my older geckos make. She's a little trooper for sure.

Still waiting on eggs 7 and 8. Candled them the other day and there is no "room" left in either of them--they candle dark and filled up all the way through. I'm hoping it won't be long now as they both have been incubating 101 days at this point. I'm like, HATCH ALREADY!

 

[sammi]

So cute! Unlike torts, are you able to sex them right when they hatch? [I noticed you calling the little one "her"] I hope she makes it, but so far it sounds good!

 

[Stephanie Logan]

I'm hoping it won't be long now as they both have been incubating 101 days at this point. I'm like, HATCH ALREADY!

Hah! Wait till you have a baby someday! They NEVER hatch when they are supposed to!

 

[Meg90]

Nope, too little to sex. I actually won't know for months. But I seem to pick sexes anyway! So far I have four "boy" hatchlings, and two "girls"

 

[ChiKat]

Aww I'm glad the baby is doing well

 

[Meg90]

A little update on Miss Naytiri. She was in NICU for about two weeks, until someone else hatched to keep her company (I am keeping littles in pairs until they are old enough to eat live food now--they seem to thrive better). She was in a teeny KK very near to the radiator and misted several extra times a day. She was always feisty, jumping moving, eating. So now she and two other littles are in a 6qt shoebox with plants and paper towel. She's growing, and doing well. 18 days old in this picture, and MAN was I right about the spots!!

This is her favorite spot to sleep:

Such a pretty girl

Other related news, my last two eggies finally hatched! They still need names. This is egg number 7, and egg number 8 respectively Some of these kids will be up for sale in the spring as well. (Baby in first pic is only a few days old-like 3. He should color up soon.)

 

[Stephanie Logan]

Your little lizard babies look lively and healthy. What a menagerie of boxes and bins your house must be!

How long do you spend each day just maintaining all your reptile friends? Not including the extra time you spend just loving them.

 

[Meg90]

Thanks! I have lots of babies.

Takes about 30 minutes to mist down, check over, and feed all the geckos. That is done every second night.

Err to feed and play with Cleo takes over an hour depending on her mood. I also try to give her a pat, or a rub every time I pass her cage. And I always say good bye to her, and the torts, who are awake when I go to work (geckos are nocturnal)

The torts and Egg are easy. I put food down, and talk to them for a few minutes each day atleast. Occasionally I pick them up, check plastrons and carapaces, tails and feet, and eyes and nares (once a week) Anouk is the only one who doesn't get upset with me. Nigel adn Egg hisses, and Novalee wants DOWN.

The snakes are pretty simple too. Once a week they eat, and that takes about 45 mins start to finish.

So atleast two hours daily, especially if somebody makes a mess.

Oh, and just for fun, I thought I'd list everybody's name

Novalee, Nigel, Anouk, Eglantine, Gimli, Spike, FayeFaye, Santiago, Tonks, Sookie, Vampire Bill, Cowboy, Bebop, Pollo, Cleo, Trouble, Fiddlesticks, Wicket, Nausciaa, Naytiri, Seeker and I have two more kids yet unnamed.

And then of course, there's just play time, or me wondering how much somebody weighs, so I have them out and on the scale. Oh, and sometimes a handfeeding too.

 

[Stephanie Logan]

Whew! I am tired just reading it...

Does Reid help with the reptiles, or does he prefer to admire them from a distance?

 

[Meg90]

He helps with the tortoises, since Nigel is half his. I can get him to mist a gecko or two for me, and he's fed Gimli (my first ball python) once. Gim is a strike-happy feeder, and it is kind of intimidating, I will say. Takes a strong will to go near a hungry snake haha.

 

[sammi]

Woah, you sure have your hands full! Havn't looked at this thread in a while, but congrats on the other babies! They're adorable =]