Leopard hatchling still hasn't fully come out the egg HELP!

[lolitatortoise]

Hi, my first egg from my first clutch has started to hatch. It has been 3 days now and he hasn't got any further out of the egg. I know he needs to absorb his yolk but i'm scared he's stuck? He seems activeish in that he keeps flipping himself up and i'm not sure if this is a result from struggling to get out the egg? I don't want to assist him though and his yolk sack to still be there? He's sat in a cup on damp tissue. Is it a good idea to bathe him or anything to keep him hydrated as he's still in the incubator? I'm not 100% but a one point it did look like he was eating the damp tissue but i'm not sure? Could it be from hunger or dehydration? I'm just scared he's my first and i just want him to be ok!

 

[Greg T]

Don't panic. I've had to deal with this also lately. Some of my guys literaly break out of the eggs within 12 hours and the last one who finally came out took 3 days. They will come out when they are ready. I have found an issue that may be your problem too. If they get too dry, the yolk sac and other fluids will dry and stick to the shell. One thing you can try is to get some drops of warm water into the egg under his shell to see if that will wet it enough to let him out. That inner shell lining is more like rubber so it is difficult to tear and he may not be able to break out yet. On the plus side, when he does get out, he won't have much yolk sac left to worry about. I doubt he's trying to eat yet, mine usually start eating around day 5 or 6.

I'd start with a little water now just to make sure he's not stuck to the shell. If he doesn't seem stuck in there, wait another day and see if he breaks himself out. If not then, you might try to carefully cut apart the shell on top to let him out. He's looking good so far!

 

[lolitatortoise]

Hi, thanks for the reply! Thats reassured me a bit i'll try giving him a shallow bath for a few minutes. The tissues he is on is still damp but i will try it anyway. Since i posted a few hours ago he did go and bite the tissue again and i pulled it out his mouth. I've put a few leaves in the incubator with him now just incase. If it doesn't work i'll try peeling a bit of shell away tomorrow and see what happens. He is very active though when he wakes up i check him every hour or so as he's usually flipped up!
Thanks again

 

[Yvonne G]

Once the shell has opened, the thin membrane just on the inside of the shell starts to dry up. It sometimes happens that the membrane sticks to the baby as it dries and the baby can't get it off of him. At this stage of the hatch, it would not be harmful for you to gently chip away the shell that is over the top of the baby just to be sure its not stuck to him.

 

[lolitatortoise]

Hi, well i tried the quick bath and put him back in the incubator and about 10-15 mins he was out! However there is still something on his belly is it anything to be concerned about? There is also a lot of goo with a pinky tinge in the egg shell is that normal. Thanks for all the replies!

 

[Greg T]

Sounds like he is ready to come out, so maybe you should try what Yvonne said and start peeling away some of the upper shell now versus waiting until tomorrow. Once he comes out, give him a nice warm soak and then put him in a box with damp paper towels and keep him warm and humid for a day or two until the yolk sac is basically absorbed and he can walk around the new enclosure easily.

Also, don't freak out when you see the bottom of his shell. It will look real deformed and crumpled, but it will smooth out over the next week or so. Daily soaks once or twice are a must, espcially after he starts eating. That way you can watch the poop and stuff to make sure he is eating well.

It gets real exciting now.

 

[lolitatortoise]

Its already exciting
I gave him a bathe and put him back in the incubator. About 10-15 mins he poped our so you were right! I've attached a pic of the undershell to make sure all looks well. Theres a bit of yolk sack there but he seems pretty straight. However there was some goo with a reddy tinge at the bottom of the egg when he left is that normal? I think it may look worse as it will be mixed with water from the bath.
Thanks again!
I did post a reply about this a minute ago but it didnt come up...

 

[Melly-n-shorty]

I dont know anything about hatching eggs... but awwww what a sweet little bit of leopard you have there!

 

[Greg T]

Picture is a little blurry but he looks good. He doesn't have much sac left at all so that's good. Glad he is out!