my sulcata girl finally laid some eggs. I plan on incubating them inside my seed sprouting little greenhouse that is insulated and always stays at 85-88 degrees -which I believe is perfect hatching temperature. I plan on putting them in a little plastic tub covered in vermiculite -which I've heard is better than Perlite for humidity control. Is that right? BIG QUESTION... Do I seal the tub? I have heard that it is best to seal completely - like they are sealed underground. So I was going to seal the tub using "PRESS AND SEAL" kitchen sealer. OTHER BIG QUESTION...do I need to poke a few pin holes in the plastic to give the eggs some air? Or leave them completely sealed? Or just poke pinholes when the babies start to hatch? Any experiences from anyone that has done it this way? I don't want to do it wrong and kill the eggs/babies.
Hatching sulcata eggs
- Thread starter Fruitguy
- Start date
Do not seal it. They need oxygen. Read these two threads for a thorough explanation of how to do it correctly so that the babies all survive and thrive. Little details matter a lot.
tortoiseforum.org
tortoiseforum.org
Questions are welcome.
How To Incubate Eggs And Start Hatchlings
I put my eggs in a plastic shoe box with a lid on it and put the shoe box in the incubator. You can drill a couple of very small holes around the top of the container, but not on the lid. I use vermiculite as an incubation media. I mix it in a 1 : 1 ratio with water by weight for Sulcatas and...
tortoiseforum.org
Sudan Sulcatas (This never gets old...)
My very first clutch of true 100% pure Sudan sulcatas is now hatching. I don't care how many times I see this, it just never gets old. I dig up the eggs carefully place them in my prepared shoe boxes, watch the temperature in the incubator and tend to them for months, and then... When that...
tortoiseforum.org
Questions are welcome.
You need pin holes for Oxygen to get in or the eggs will suffocate and not make it full term. Put a little hole on each end of the tub and then close the lid. Also I only cover the eggs half way up with vermiculite, yes vermiculite is what to use.
Keep us posted. Questions are welcome.
There is a huge shortage of properly started sulcatas. Almost everyone starts them too dry, wrong media, poor food choices, no daily soaks, no brooder box directly after hatching. Its a wonder any of them survive. If you start yours well, we can help you sell them to good homes here on the forum.
Post number two has two thread about the best care for eggs and hatchlings, along with the first steps for babies.
Here is the care for them once they are ready for an enclosure:
The Best Way To Raise A Sulcata, Leopard, Or Star Tortoise
I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. Babies hatch during the...
tortoiseforum.org
