Flap neck egg incubation
- Thread starter Fidget321
- Start date
Haven't hatched them myself...but...
Here's some information...
http://www.chameleonnews.com/?page=article&id=49
Here's some information...
http://www.chameleonnews.com/?page=article&id=49
Incubation
Just an update.
She laid 38 perfectly goodlooking eggs (white with the slightest hint of pink)
I have taken the addis bin i used for her to lay her eggs in, took out the leftover sand and turned it upside down.
We placed the eggs in a 2 litre plastic ice cream box ontop of some watered vermiculite. We also drilled a small hole in the ice cream box's lid.
I also added a plastic bottle cap with some water in the box.
We then placed the box ontop of the addis bin and the basking lamp is shining on top for some heat. The basking lamp is approx. 12 inches (28cm to be exact) from the box.
The basking lamp is a 50w bulb.
I also plan on switching it off tonight for the temperature to lower in the breeding box.
I also plan on buying a thermometer tomorrow to monitor the degrees in this box.
Any tips or corrects to what i am doing would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Just an update.
She laid 38 perfectly goodlooking eggs (white with the slightest hint of pink)
I have taken the addis bin i used for her to lay her eggs in, took out the leftover sand and turned it upside down.
We placed the eggs in a 2 litre plastic ice cream box ontop of some watered vermiculite. We also drilled a small hole in the ice cream box's lid.
I also added a plastic bottle cap with some water in the box.
We then placed the box ontop of the addis bin and the basking lamp is shining on top for some heat. The basking lamp is approx. 12 inches (28cm to be exact) from the box.
The basking lamp is a 50w bulb.
I also plan on switching it off tonight for the temperature to lower in the breeding box.
I also plan on buying a thermometer tomorrow to monitor the degrees in this box.
Any tips or corrects to what i am doing would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
As I said before, I've never incubated flap eggs....but I would think that the vermiculite shouldn't be very moist. For veileds, panthers, c. chamaeleons and numerous other lizards and turtles I have made the vermiculite only moist enough that when you take a fist full of it you can only squeeze a drop or two of water from it.
The container with the eggs in should be in the dark....the light shouldn't shine on it.
What I have used for years is a people's heating pad (the type that don't shut off unless you shut them off and that have three heat settings) under a wooden frame of 2' x2' wood that has screen over the top of it. I set the heating pad and raise the frame to get the right temperature inside the incubation containers which have been set on the screen. I keep the set-up in the basement in a dark room.
The container with the eggs in should be in the dark....the light shouldn't shine on it.
What I have used for years is a people's heating pad (the type that don't shut off unless you shut them off and that have three heat settings) under a wooden frame of 2' x2' wood that has screen over the top of it. I set the heating pad and raise the frame to get the right temperature inside the incubation containers which have been set on the screen. I keep the set-up in the basement in a dark room.
Damaranum
Established Member
Hi,
Are you're flapnecks from South Africa?
Then I can advise you not to do as stated in my article.
There is a little book in South Africa from Vincent Wager and is called the life of the chameleon. Here is some information in for you.
Generaly the flapnecks in South Africe all hatch the same periode I thought between feb and march. They hatch after aprox 10 months.
Good luck with incubating them.
Where in SA do you live?
You might even want to put some back in the ground in your backyard and then make something so the babies can't escape when they hatch.
Steven
Are you're flapnecks from South Africa?
Then I can advise you not to do as stated in my article.
There is a little book in South Africa from Vincent Wager and is called the life of the chameleon. Here is some information in for you.
Generaly the flapnecks in South Africe all hatch the same periode I thought between feb and march. They hatch after aprox 10 months.
Good luck with incubating them.
Where in SA do you live?
You might even want to put some back in the ground in your backyard and then make something so the babies can't escape when they hatch.
Steven
Thanks.
Yes please i need some pointers here to the actual incubation.
i followed this example:
http://www.angelfire.com/fl/chameleons/veiled/veiled.html
I know its only for veilds, but it was a good start as i have no idea what to do.
Yes please i need some pointers here to the actual incubation.
i followed this example:
http://www.angelfire.com/fl/chameleons/veiled/veiled.html
I know its only for veilds, but it was a good start as i have no idea what to do.
Damaranum
Established Member
@Kinyongia
I meant the article on chameleonnews as that is mine article.
When the book is not available I'd advise to keep them cool, and if wanted I'll look up my book and search what is written in it. (I also have one or two for sale for people in europe who are interested).
The methods about incubating in most books are quite good. Specially when looking at how to do so, (incubator, materials etc.) But temperatures differ per species when I don't know the good temperature in most cases I'd try about 20-21 degrees celsius during the day and night temps round 19 degrees celsius.
As said when needed please ask and I'll search my book for you!
I meant the article on chameleonnews as that is mine article.
When the book is not available I'd advise to keep them cool, and if wanted I'll look up my book and search what is written in it. (I also have one or two for sale for people in europe who are interested).
The methods about incubating in most books are quite good. Specially when looking at how to do so, (incubator, materials etc.) But temperatures differ per species when I don't know the good temperature in most cases I'd try about 20-21 degrees celsius during the day and night temps round 19 degrees celsius.
As said when needed please ask and I'll search my book for you!
I know the article was written by you...that's not the point. You said that if Fidget321's flaps are from South Africa they should NOT be incubated the way your article suggested....but you didn't give Fidget321 any instructions on how to incubate them...just to refer to "little book in South Africa from Vincent Wager and is called the life of the chameleon". That doesn't help unless Fidget321 has the book.
Damaranum - If the temperatures should only be that low i don't need the light at all. i monitored the temps today here, and being just before winter, we had a peak of 26.7 degrees celcius, is this anything to be concerned about?
I'll see if i can locate the book here tomorrow and let you know, but do you have any tips on how to incubate these eggs?
I read your article before, although being extremely helpful, it didn't really focus on the actual incubator. i now have the temps, please can you give me some pointers on incubators? (I have searched incubators on this site, but i came out dry)- thanks a mil
Kinyonga - as stated above, if the temps do not need to be as high, i don't even need the lamp, it might look as i though need cooling, so i might place the container in the closet, so as to be dark as well as cooler.
I'm just a bit scared, i was at the pet shop day before yesterday, and the staff there advised me not to move the eggs at all or they could die, now i have already moved them out of the container she laid them in (using a normal sized spoon) and placed them into this ice cream container, can i move the eggs again? (Not out of the container, just move the actual container)
Thanks guys, i really appreciate this!
I'll see if i can locate the book here tomorrow and let you know, but do you have any tips on how to incubate these eggs?
I read your article before, although being extremely helpful, it didn't really focus on the actual incubator. i now have the temps, please can you give me some pointers on incubators? (I have searched incubators on this site, but i came out dry)- thanks a mil
Kinyonga - as stated above, if the temps do not need to be as high, i don't even need the lamp, it might look as i though need cooling, so i might place the container in the closet, so as to be dark as well as cooler.
I'm just a bit scared, i was at the pet shop day before yesterday, and the staff there advised me not to move the eggs at all or they could die, now i have already moved them out of the container she laid them in (using a normal sized spoon) and placed them into this ice cream container, can i move the eggs again? (Not out of the container, just move the actual container)
Thanks guys, i really appreciate this!
chameleonneeds
Avid Member
If you live in SA keep them in you dark cubourd at room temperature, because you live in SA.
Damaranum
Established Member
Hi,
I just came home and searched my book. I looked what I can find but there are no temps mentioned there. I also looked in the book from Cowden (Chameleons 'the little lions of the reptile world') but also there no temperatures are mentioned.
When you live in northen SA (Natal, Mpumalanga etc) I'd try to mesure temperatures in the ground. I read the eggs are buried at 8 inches or deaper. So try to mesure there, air temperatures are normally much higher. Then you should try to keep those temperatures. I indeed think you don't need any lightning bulbs.
My incubater wass homemade. It was a glass terrariums changed into an au-bain-marie system. With water heating and heating from above. I put the eggs in vermiculite.
I kept the eggs from the tanzanian form at 28 degrees but they hatched in 4 months that is really different from the SA form.
If I where you I'd bury half of them in the garden and make a kind of terrarium on top so if they hatch they can't escape. And then try the other half in an incubater.
Good luck with the eggs.
I just came home and searched my book. I looked what I can find but there are no temps mentioned there. I also looked in the book from Cowden (Chameleons 'the little lions of the reptile world') but also there no temperatures are mentioned.
When you live in northen SA (Natal, Mpumalanga etc) I'd try to mesure temperatures in the ground. I read the eggs are buried at 8 inches or deaper. So try to mesure there, air temperatures are normally much higher. Then you should try to keep those temperatures. I indeed think you don't need any lightning bulbs.
My incubater wass homemade. It was a glass terrariums changed into an au-bain-marie system. With water heating and heating from above. I put the eggs in vermiculite.
I kept the eggs from the tanzanian form at 28 degrees but they hatched in 4 months that is really different from the SA form.
If I where you I'd bury half of them in the garden and make a kind of terrarium on top so if they hatch they can't escape. And then try the other half in an incubater.
Good luck with the eggs.
Thanks all, where i live there isn't much ground, the ground that is there is much too hard, so i'll see what i can do regarding that.
I hope i didn't damage the eggs when i moved them, there is always a chance that the ggs could have rolled etc. but i'll have to wait and see. (i also worry too much)
Thanks guys. i didn't put the lamp on again at all and when i checked this morning, the temps were 22 C. - this will stabilize when i put this contraption in the cubboard.
I will also during the course of the day see if i can get those books here.
I hope i didn't damage the eggs when i moved them, there is always a chance that the ggs could have rolled etc. but i'll have to wait and see. (i also worry too much)
Thanks guys. i didn't put the lamp on again at all and when i checked this morning, the temps were 22 C. - this will stabilize when i put this contraption in the cubboard.
I will also during the course of the day see if i can get those books here.
