pamnsam94
Established Member
It is often said that there are presumably chemical cues given off by eggs that signal other eggs in the clutch to start hatching. Has it only been theorized that there must be chemical cues, or have the chemicals involved been identified?
I bring this up because today, a quad baby died in his egg even though he had already managed to make a few slits, although the slits were not long enough for him to emerge. I opened up the egg and found that, although he appeared fully developed, he was considerably smaller than his 5 siblings, all of which seem to be doing fine. In addition, he also had a considerable amount of yolk left, unlike his siblings. I also found it very facinating that he was completely turned around. His head was at the opposite end of where the slits were. His tongue was partially protruding from his mouth. Apparently, he was simply too weak to get out. I'm wondering whether he was really ready to hatch. Obviously, he was trying to cut his way out, but maybe he wasn't "really ready" in the sense that he was not big and/or strong enough yet. Maybe he was simply "told" to hatch by the chemical cues given off by his sibling's eggs. By the way, when the eggs were nice and plump, his egg was the smallest of the bunch.
Presumably, as with sea turtles, etc., with many hatchlings trying to dig their way to the surface at the same time, they are more likely to make it out of the nest. Another theory of why emerging simultaneously might be beneficial (at least in the case of sea turtles) is that a mass of sea turtles making a mad dash to the ocean ensures that at least some of the hatchlings will make it to the water. Seems to me that such an exodus would only draw attention to hungry gulls, crabs and other predators. Dinnertime!!!
I've always thought that a "stealth" approach, sneaking to the surf one at a time, might be a more effective survival strategy. So, I've always favored the former explanation (teamwork makes it easier to dig out) as a better explanation (not that there has to be just one) of why reptiles, including chameleons, usually hatch out at nearly the same time (normally within a few days of each other).
Finally, I've read of instances from keepers who say their eggs hatch over two or more weeks apart, despite being in the same incubation container. In every quad clutch I've had, and the one melleri clutch I had, all the eggs hatched within 3 or 5 days max of each other. In the wild, I know it is not unusual for some reptiles to overwinter underground in the nest until the following spring (warmer and wetter weather). Other reptiles simply wait until it rains, after the ground is softened. For those of you who have had eggs from the same clutch hatch weeks or even a month or more apart, I'm curious to know how far apart and whether or not the clutch was in the same incubation container. If they were in the same container, it would also be helpful to know how close the eggs were to each other. Lastly, since the incubation parameters of various species vary greatly, any information you might provide is most useful if you tell us what species you are referring to. Thanks.
Perry
I bring this up because today, a quad baby died in his egg even though he had already managed to make a few slits, although the slits were not long enough for him to emerge. I opened up the egg and found that, although he appeared fully developed, he was considerably smaller than his 5 siblings, all of which seem to be doing fine. In addition, he also had a considerable amount of yolk left, unlike his siblings. I also found it very facinating that he was completely turned around. His head was at the opposite end of where the slits were. His tongue was partially protruding from his mouth. Apparently, he was simply too weak to get out. I'm wondering whether he was really ready to hatch. Obviously, he was trying to cut his way out, but maybe he wasn't "really ready" in the sense that he was not big and/or strong enough yet. Maybe he was simply "told" to hatch by the chemical cues given off by his sibling's eggs. By the way, when the eggs were nice and plump, his egg was the smallest of the bunch.
Presumably, as with sea turtles, etc., with many hatchlings trying to dig their way to the surface at the same time, they are more likely to make it out of the nest. Another theory of why emerging simultaneously might be beneficial (at least in the case of sea turtles) is that a mass of sea turtles making a mad dash to the ocean ensures that at least some of the hatchlings will make it to the water. Seems to me that such an exodus would only draw attention to hungry gulls, crabs and other predators. Dinnertime!!!
I've always thought that a "stealth" approach, sneaking to the surf one at a time, might be a more effective survival strategy. So, I've always favored the former explanation (teamwork makes it easier to dig out) as a better explanation (not that there has to be just one) of why reptiles, including chameleons, usually hatch out at nearly the same time (normally within a few days of each other).Finally, I've read of instances from keepers who say their eggs hatch over two or more weeks apart, despite being in the same incubation container. In every quad clutch I've had, and the one melleri clutch I had, all the eggs hatched within 3 or 5 days max of each other. In the wild, I know it is not unusual for some reptiles to overwinter underground in the nest until the following spring (warmer and wetter weather). Other reptiles simply wait until it rains, after the ground is softened. For those of you who have had eggs from the same clutch hatch weeks or even a month or more apart, I'm curious to know how far apart and whether or not the clutch was in the same incubation container. If they were in the same container, it would also be helpful to know how close the eggs were to each other. Lastly, since the incubation parameters of various species vary greatly, any information you might provide is most useful if you tell us what species you are referring to. Thanks.
Perry
