5 month incubation?

[biffle]

My female Ambilobe named Lovey laid a clutch on 4/22. One male just hatched today 9/30. That's right at 5 months right? I didn't think panthers hatched that soon.

I have another clutch from my female Ambilobe Tigra laid on 3/27 that also had one female hatch yesterday 9/29. 6 Months? I was expecting 7-9.

I wonder what triggered these two seperate clutches to synchronize and hatch within a day of each other. Is that what cuased the 2nd cluch to hatch super early?

Pics @ #gotchachameleons

Jason

 

[sandrachameleon]

were the eggs from the two clutches kept in the same container?

7-9 months may be the norm, but 5 months or 13 months isnt unheard of. Temp plays a role

 

[Saldarya]

To Sandras point Jason,

What temp or temp range were you incubating at?

Thanks!

 

[Norcal55]

Ive never had them hatch before 6 months and usually closer to 7. Please let us know what the temps were and how the little guy is doing.

Also I have had on an occasion 1 egg hatch out 3-4 weeks before the rest did

 

[fluxlizard]

I had 5 months once. I used 80 for 2 weeks, then upper 60s for 2 months, then 80 day, upper 60s low 70s nights for the remainder.

 

[Norcal55]

I had 5 months once. I used 80 for 2 weeks, then upper 60s for 2 months, then 80 day, upper 60s low 70s nights for the remainder.

How did the babies turn out when you changed the temps up? All healthy and avg. size?
Thanks

 

[panther67]

I have som hatch pretty quick like that. I have also had one hatch at 6 months while a clutch laid before that hatch at 10 months.

 

[reptoman]

I've had a 5 month clutch before. Never use an incubator so the temps are pretty much the same year round in the closet. All were healthy with no obvious weakness due to the early hatch.

 

[fluxlizard]

How did the babies turn out when you changed the temps up? All healthy and avg. size?
Thanks

They were great.
Swapping the temps up just mimics winter and breaks the dormant period the eggs normally go through so they develop. It isn't really an uncommon incubation protocal, and has been played with for many years by many breeders.

If you keep temps constant, the dormant period will vary quite a lot- at least in my experience- anything from around 6 to 13 months, mostly 7 to 9 months.

The really long incubations (10 months plus) the babies seem like maybe they are a little smaller- probably dormancy is finally broken as a last ditch effort for the egg to survive in those cases.

 

[Norcal55]

They were great.
Swapping the temps up just mimics winter and breaks the dormant period the eggs normally go through so they develop. It isn't really an uncommon incubation protocal, and has been played with for many years by many breeders.

If you keep temps constant, the dormant period will vary quite a lot- at least in my experience- anything from around 6 to 13 months, mostly 7 to 9 months.

The really long incubations (10 months plus) the babies seem like maybe they are a little smaller- probably dormancy is finally broken as a last ditch effort for the egg to survive in those cases.

Cool, might have to give it a whirl once the incubator is finished

 

[maxttu]

Congrats, Jason! Let me know if you need some help!

 

[shaunaroxanne]

I have also had some hatch at 5 months. Those clutches generally took 2.5 months to completely hatch out.

 

[TerryLund]

Incubator

What type of incubator did you use? I ask because I was wonder how you got the low temperatures. In the summer it impossible to get in the low 60s and even in the winter my house is never in the low 60s. So I was curious how you were able to get such low temperatures with an incubator. Congratulation's on the little ones. I can't wait to see a few pictures.

Terry

 

[fluxlizard]

I have also had some hatch at 5 months. Those clutches generally took 2.5 months to completely hatch out.

I didn't have that experience. That is interesting.

What type of incubator did you use? I ask because I was wonder how you got the low temperatures. In the summer it impossible to get in the low 60s and even in the winter my house is never in the low 60s.

I'm guessing you are asking me?
My winter temps here in home are 67. Placed in the cupboard under the bathroom sink for the cool months. No incubator then. The rest of the time a havobator on a timer that turns it off at night and on during the day works well, or one of my home made incubators (see my blog for construction instructions- if your home isn't fairly cool though, a significant night temp (10 degrees for example) drop can be a problem with those unless you put the fan on a timer to shut off a few minutes after the controller cuts off for the night, and back on again a few minutes before the controller comes back on for the day).

 

[biffle]

14 have hatched so far from my 5 month clutch.
11 have hatched so far from my 6 month clutch.

They separated by clutch date in a zoomed reptibator that is set to 77. The temp stays from 80-82 (room temp) during the day and falls to a minimum of 77 at night. I set it to 77 to keep the nightly drop to a minimum.

Jason