Egg Spacing - irrelevant?

[sandrachameleon]

I've a clutch of NosyBe eggs laid back in September 2009. Historically, I'd always spaced eggs about 2-3 cm (an inch) apart in vemiculite. I was curious to know if egg spacing actually made any significant difference to hatch timing. So this time I had one container with eggs spaced 1-2cm apart, and another where the eggs are right next to one another, even touching.

On Monday, one egg hatched. His neighbouring eggs, about 1 cm (less than half an inch) away, showed no signs of hatching that day, or the next or the next.

Today, Thursday, there is an egg hatching that is in the same container as the first egg to hatch, but its not one of the near neighbours to that first egg. Its on the far side of the container, more than an inch distant.

Also, an egg in another container is now sweating. This one is right next to two eggs, touching one and maybe 5mm from another. Those neighbour eggs show no signs of hatching.

So far, egg spacing doesnt seem to matter.

I'd forgotten how tiny baby panthers are! its a treat to see them emerge and so quickly become active!​

 

[reptoman]

Do you have any pics of your containers? Was curious to see what the experienced keepers use. thanks

 

[fluxlizard]

I had only heard that spacing was important in calyptratus. Hadn't heard with panthers it was a concern. I space all of mine a bit just in case one goes bad- I figure gas and fungus and stuff won't spread as fast.

 

[ajacobson]

so jealous of your Nosey Be babies/eggs!!

 

[sandrachameleon]

Do you have any pics of your containers? Was curious to see what the experienced keepers use. thanks

You might be dissappointed. I do nothing special. Just about any old plastic container with a lid will do. And shoe boxes.

I suspect people who breed more often would have a more elaborate set-up. I only breed a few clutches now and then. The last time I had eggs prior to now was a few years ago.

 

[sandrachameleon]

so jealous of your Nosey Be babies/eggs!!

Maybe you'd like to have one? Ive only pre-sold about half.

 

[Rocky]

The reason I would think egg spacing would play a roll in hatching is because when they are all clustered together (as when originally laid) they are more of a single mass as opposed to 20-30 individual massses. Since they are all separated (even though they may be closer than usual) they are still technically getting different environments (however slight it may be) and growing at different rates.

I believe the reason they hatch at the same time in the wild is because they are in a cluster that is kinda acting like a single mass being incubated so they are all developing at the same rate. Thus, they all develop at the same rate and can dig out at the same time.

This is just my speculation and not really backed by any evidence.

 

[Syn]

I was once told by someone at a show (though I do not remember who) that they put the eggs further apart to prevent the spread of mold as well as the babies next to each other knocking over the egg next to it and potentially damaging whatever is inside. The latter portion of what I was told makes the most sense.

 

[sandrachameleon]

Ya, avoiding the mass hatching thing is what I was told was the main reason for spacing the eggs. With mold from any that die being the secondary reason.
Pssh, hadnt thought about one that has hatched disturbing one that hasnt. I wouldnt have thought they were that sensitive/delicate. Im sure the first one that hatching in this batch wandered all over the other eggs in that container before I noticed him. Doesnt seem to have made much difference. But its an interesting notion to consider.

Rocky, I have some that are touching, piled in little groups of three and four eggs. Should this not be essentially the same as how they might be in the ground, and thus cause the mass hatching? It hasnt, in this little experiment.

 

[ajacobson]

Maybe you'd like to have one? Ive only pre-sold about half.

Can you PM me info? I'm trying to talk the hubby into letting me have one!

 

[kinyonga]

I have always spaced the eggs apart...and when the first one hatches it walks across several eggs to get to the lightest corner of the container and tries to dig its way out. The next eggs that seem to hatch are the ones it walked over to get to that corner...so I'm more of the belief that there is some "chemical" signal that they give off once they hatch. That being said...what triggers the first one to hatch?

 

[sandrachameleon]

Well the last one to hatch was a neighbour of the first one to hatch (and it had definately been walked on). so in this case, There was no appreciable difference in hatch rate between those eggs touching and those eggs spaced widely apart. It was random.