Motherlode Chameleon
Chameleon Enthusiast
Congratulations Mike! Great news that you hatched your eggs from this species!
Best Regards
Jeremy A. Rich
Best Regards
Jeremy A. Rich
Kinyongia matschiei hatching
- Thread starter Mike Fisher
- Start date
Mike Fisher
Established Member
Good to see you on CF again! Yeah, I incubated mine very differently than yours. I used 62F night 69F day in 12 hour cycles. I had three species all in the same incubator and aside from a couple of K. multi eggs that popped earlier in the incubation from too much water, I got 100 percent hatch on all. They came out huge with all yolk absorbed and were feeding in a day.
But they all had extended hatching. The first ones to come out had already grown a lot before the last one hatched. I'm working on a new thermostat system with heating and cooling circuits so I'm planning something different for the next clutches I get. Might try a diapause.
Motherlode Chameleon
Chameleon Enthusiast
Good to see you on CF again! Yeah, I incubated mine very differently than yours. I used 62F night 69F day in 12 hour cycles. I had three species all in the same incubator and aside from a couple of K. multi eggs that popped earlier in the incubation from too much water, I got 100 percent hatch on all. They came out huge with all yolk absorbed and were feeding in a day.
But they all had extended hatching. The first ones to come out had already grown a lot before the last one hatched. I'm working on a new thermostat system with heating and cooling circuits so I'm planning something different for the next clutches I get. Might try a diapause.
Mike
That is quite a bit of incubation temperature change from day and night. Good to hear it resulted in 100 percent hatch rate. If you used a diapause what temperature would were you considering dropping the incubation too?
Best Regards
Jeremy A. Rich
Mike Fisher
Established Member
Motherlode Chameleon
Chameleon Enthusiast
Not sure yet, still doing research. I'd entertain any suggestions.
Your incubation temperatures are low to begin with for this species. I would hate to go into the 51's+F for a diapause. Some breeders have gone into the 51's+F and bred chameleons though. It is possible. If I was incubating Kinyongia matschiei I would go with another approach to incubation than what you are doing.
Best Regards
Jeremy A. Rich
Todnedo
Avid Member
Interesting..... What approach would you use and why, to achieve a 100% hatch rate.
Mike Fisher
Established Member
Ideally I would try to match what temps the eggs are subjected to in their natural environment. Not knowing exactly what those are, and with the limiting constraints of having three different species in the same incubator, I basically just incubated them the exact same as my quadricornis that I kept 20 years ago.
The extended hatching I got was unexpected, but in retrospect was pretty nice. It was easier to manage feeder production.
The reason I'm considering a diapause is to learn if the long incubation can be shortened.
The extended hatching I got was unexpected, but in retrospect was pretty nice. It was easier to manage feeder production.
The reason I'm considering a diapause is to learn if the long incubation can be shortened.
Motherlode Chameleon
Chameleon Enthusiast
100% hatch rate is 100% hatch rate and if it aint broke do not fix it. Great job incubating the Kinyongia matchiei Mike!! However if or when I am keeping or breeding Kinyongia matchiei again I would incubate the eggs in alternate conditions to what Mike has posted. I am not posting that information (spill the beans) until I am keeping and breeding that species again or Mike pm's me.
Best Regards
Jeremy A. Rich
Mike Fisher
Established Member
When I decide what incubation method I intend to try next, I'll let everybody know. I don't believe in keeping stuff secret because we can all learn more and if it works it can benefit all captive chameleons, not just mine.
And if it doesn't work, we'll all know not to do that.
And if it doesn't work, we'll all know not to do that.
Motherlode Chameleon
Chameleon Enthusiast
When I decide what incubation method I intend to try next, I'll let everybody know. I don't believe in keeping stuff secret because we can all learn more and if it works it can benefit all captive chameleons, not just mine.
And if it doesn't work, we'll all know not to do that.
I have got to have my colony of Kinyongia matchiei first. I am not going to count all my eggs before they hatch. This far out is way to premature to be posting details. If you want to talk send me a pm.
Best Regards
Jeremy A. Rich
Todnedo
Avid Member
Oh I thought you were working with Kinyongia matchiei.
Motherlode Chameleon
Chameleon Enthusiast
No however I want to keep this species again, although for now my extra space is already accounted for.
Best Regards
Jeremy A. Rich
Mike Fisher
Established Member
No problem, I thought you had some already.
Don't think I haven't considered lower temps at first then ramping them up with the highest temps near the end of incubation. That is similar to what Chad did IIRC. His incubation length was about the same as mine, but with shorter hatching length. I'm trying to figure out a way to shorten the incubation length, or if it is even possible at all.
Mike Fisher
Established Member
Found this in the archives: https://www.chameleonforums.com/incubation-diapause-temperature-selection-43916/
Todnedo
Avid Member
When I decide what incubation method I intend to try next, I'll let everybody know. I don't believe in keeping stuff secret because we can all learn more and if it works it can benefit all captive chameleons, not just mine.
And if it doesn't work, we'll all know not to do that.
Props to you Mike!!!.... Jeremy not so much
Motherlode Chameleon
Chameleon Enthusiast
That includes you then! You do not contribute at all! What happened to your Kinyongia matschiei colony and their incubation temperatures? Chad was consulting me in the beginning of his project.
Best Regards
Jeremy A. Rich
Last edited:
Todnedo
Avid Member
Mine never hatched so I have no useful info. to contribute.
CNorton
Avid Member
Firstly, I've recently lost the last viable egg I was incubating for matschiei. While I have t kept any chameleons for almost a year, due to school commitments, I have been sitting on some eggs clarkrw3 was kind enough to incubate them for some of the time. I think my temps were fairly inconsistent during the move to Southern California, reaching 80F without power to the incubator for a time. The eggs stayed fine for awhile but eventually molded over one by one. The end of this month would be 11.5 months in incubation.
Jeremy, I wouldn't say I was "consulting" you as you had zero experience with matschiei at the time. I appreciate your enthusiasm for the species but I think it's unfair to say you have some secret info about matschiei that we should PM you for. We did talk quite a bit about your old breeding projects from the 90s and that was helpful to me for historical context of imports.
Mike, I am glad you take the share everything approach with regards to raising chameleons and the forums. I've shared every one of my successes and failures in detail on the forums and I hope they've contributed in some way to bringing matschiei closer to stability in captivity. There are still relatively few successful keepers in the world and I hope you guys - Jeremy, Steve, and Mike...all stay interested in matschiei. When I finish my program, I will be devoting all my resources to breeding matschiei again.
clarkrw3 was kind enough to incubate them for some of the time. I think my temps were fairly inconsistent during the move to Southern California, reaching 80F without power to the incubator for a time. The eggs stayed fine for awhile but eventually molded over one by one. The end of this month would be 11.5 months in incubation.Jeremy, I wouldn't say I was "consulting" you as you had zero experience with matschiei at the time. I appreciate your enthusiasm for the species but I think it's unfair to say you have some secret info about matschiei that we should PM you for. We did talk quite a bit about your old breeding projects from the 90s and that was helpful to me for historical context of imports.
Mike, I am glad you take the share everything approach with regards to raising chameleons and the forums. I've shared every one of my successes and failures in detail on the forums and I hope they've contributed in some way to bringing matschiei closer to stability in captivity. There are still relatively few successful keepers in the world and I hope you guys - Jeremy, Steve, and Mike...all stay interested in matschiei. When I finish my program, I will be devoting all my resources to breeding matschiei again.
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