HELP please guys

[gary1621]

Mini my Pygmy Chameleon has dug up her eggs! And has started laying a new clutch in their place.

My sister in law and I were thinking that maybe she dug them out because she knew they were infertile?

I managed to reach two of the four. I was really careful not to tilt them any more then they already had been while she dug them out. I placed them in the tub with soil and had a good look at them. There is no fungus, no dents... nothing that makes me think they are duds... and then they wiggled!!

Both of them are twitching away surely thats a good sign?! Or has Mini's digging caused the babies to start 'drowning' because they were moved and disturbed?

I'm going to get the other two out when she has finished.

P.S. 90 days will be on the 12th of May

 

[Jerm]

I wouldn't worry too much about them. I have had pygmies dig up their old nests accidentally, I don't think that they remember where they previously dug. To tell you how hardy brev eggs can be, me and a fellow forum member decided to exchange eggs through the mail to get new bloodlines a few years ago. They were in Washington State, I live in Florida (opposite corners of the US). We overnighted the eggs to each other and the brev eggs that I recieved started hatching within days of me recieving them. All 12 of the eggs that I recieved in the mail ended up hatching. If they can make it through the mail I'm sure that digging them up is not harmful. If they are twitching then they must be getting ready to hatch soon.

 

[gary1621]

Thank you so much

Your reply really helped to put me at ease today. I was really worried as this will be by first attempt at hatching anything.

I did get the other two out, they gave a bit of a wiggle too. I havent checked them since, i dont want to fuss with them too much.

 

[zwhitman]

If they are wiggling they are close. I don't know what normal incuabtion lengths are for those guys, but the embryo drowning is usually not a problem towards the end of incubation. By that time the embryo is large enough and the yolk is small enough that you should be fine.

And I doubt she dug them up on purpose. Its probably just her favorite laying spot. If you don't want this to happen again, I would dig up clutches, or at least put a barrier over them to stop her from digging in the same spot.

 

[Ryan Jarosek]

If they are wiggling they are close. I don't know what normal incuabtion lengths are for those guys, but the embryo drowning is usually not a problem towards the end of incubation. By that time the embryo is large enough and the yolk is small enough that you should be fine.

And I doubt she dug them up on purpose. Its probably just her favorite laying spot. If you don't want this to happen again, I would dig up clutches, or at least put a barrier over them to stop her from digging in the same spot.

Good post!

 

[gary1621]

Some great advice there! thank you

I think 90days is a good number people have used, and we are at 88 days so i think thats good

 

[GooglezNvincent]

Maybe coincidence, maybe not? Maybe she thought they hatched already and was going to lay another clutch in the same spot? Only way to know for sure is to see if she goes for the same spot a third time. This is really interesting!

 

[Ryan Jarosek]

Maybe coincidence, maybe not? Maybe she thought they hatched already and was going to lay another clutch in the same spot? Only way to know for sure is to see if she goes for the same spot a third time. This is really interesting!

No trickery about it, you are right. My pygs lay in the same spot every time. I have dug 8 eggs from the same spot where 3 different females had laid all on top of each other.

It had nothing to do with her feeling they were infertile. I am happy to learn that it is not only my pygs that do this. Probably their favorite spot.

 

[GooglezNvincent]

No trickery about it, you are right. My pygs lay in the same spot every time. I have dug 8 eggs from the same spot where 3 different females had laid all on top of each other.

It had nothing to do with her feeling they were infertile. I am happy to learn that it is not only my pygs that do this. Probably their favorite spot.

too freaking cool!

 

[gary1621]

Wow!



Thats a cool observation!!

 

[zwhitman]

It would be cool to know if they actually communally nested on purpose or if that spot was just the best realty in town. Anyone who has a colony that does this want to do some experimenting? I would be curious if that spot was blocked off, or if the cage was drastically rearranged, if the chams would pick a new spot and continue to lay together, or if they would disperse.