Incubation medium on the fly?

Andee

Chameleon Enthusiast
Hey guys I need an incubation medium on the fly? I can't buy tonight with the time, but I have Eco Earth to use, composting soil, and some moss? Either of those work? I am just going to use it over night until I can move the eggs onto something better?
 
Eggs for what?
If it's chameleon eggs soil isn't good but it might work if you put moist soil or eco earth and covered it with slightly moist Moss and then put the eggs on top of that....but I've never done that myself. I had a friend who did turtle eggs like that in a pinch though and their incubation is similar to chameleons.
 
I did exactly that XD I plan to go out tomorrow for vermiculate. And it's for crested gecko eggs that I got a rescue pair of who had laid one in a poor imitation of a lay box. I will also be going out get a decent sized Tupperware container for her lay bin. I didn't want to say the crested geckos because it's get moved before I got my answer which I know is bad D8 but it was foe the good of the reptiles. But they do the same kind of thing as closet method as panther eggs and veiled eggs. It's only one little one. And it currently is showing signs of fertility with a decent sized vein or two. Let's hope it makes it through the night. It's in a deli cup from an old super worm container that was rinsed out, and then filled about half way with very moistened eco earth and moistened moss. Hoping it stays viable over night.
 
Good luck! I've read about gecko people using this as a setup for the females to lay the eggs in so it should work.
 
I won't benheart broken if I lose it, it's only one and I hadn't prepared for it. But since it is a fertilized egg I would like to make the chances as high as possible for it. Its shell still have that slight flexibility to it, so I assume it is no more than one or two days old. It seems like an otherwise healthy egg, no look of shell issues or weird growths so I am happy with it for now. Currently I haven't set up the geckos lights, I mist them, took care of the egg and otherwise have left them alone tonight so they can do the usual upset thing... I will likely add a few more fake plants from the looks of their current enclosures.
 
I am so sorry for my delayed response I am at work and it is without a doubt the busiest night ever! You do not need this info anymore but here it is for future reference. So, if your lay medeum is nice and moist (and kept moist) and deep enough the eggs can realy stay in the bin, undesturbed till they hatch. Alternatively one can leave them the lay medeum for a week or so (just want to get them in you incubation medeum before the embryo attatches!) till you have things ready for the eggs. Hope this helps!
 
Naw these guys are being brought back because they were original rehabs I had given to this lady when they were super little babies, they came to me at 5 grams and I beefed them up to 15 grams before sending them onto her. But her family has fallen on hard times and she wanted to see if I could take them in before she tried to find someone else. I said yes and so she's been waiting a bit while I got things squared away. The female is in wonderful condition and her egg looks beautiful. So I am sure it will do well once I get the set up finished for it.
 
Healthy and happy Crestie egg
Crestie egg.jpg
 
The egg got transferred over last night (late around 8pm) to vermiculite. Checked on it this morning, still no signs of molding, I assume if the egg started out not viable I would know in a week for sure? If it dies that will be a whole other issue. I ended up putting it in a newly bought tupperware container and made about 12 tiny holes with a heated safety pin (since I haven't done vermiculite before and I just wanted to make sure no condesation got too bad). I tried to weigh it as best I could and then do the drop test. But honestly I accept I may accidentally screw up. However the little thing seems to be doing well? Considering it's not growing yet and etc. I can't be sure. But no weird looking stuff or molding so YAY for that. It's so tiny. About just barely as long as the diameter ? of a quarter and nowhere near as large otherwise. Still she's pretty small over all (not dangerously so) but she's not a super weighty girl. I gave her some honey last night, to make sure gets some extra calories, and some MRP for cresties. I am trying to do as much hands off as I can currently so the two of them settle. The beefier guy (who I have named Strudel) doesn't honestly care a lot. The other two are a bit more skittish when I come in and do stuff. So currently it's just feeding, watering and putting the lay bin/box in, otherwise any other changes can wait.

Any staff can move this if they want! No longer an emergency. ^^ Sorry to break rules, I will accept getting in trouble, but I think you guys understand the desperation XD'
 
I've used vermiculite for chameleon eggs and lots of different kinds of geckos, water dragons, tortoises, cone heads and lots of other reptiles.
If you do the "squeeze a fist full" test with the vermiculite the humidity and condensation inside should be fine...its lime a mini eco system.
About a week should be enough to tell you if it's not fertile. It shouldn't grow fast enough that you can see a difference from one day to the next.

Good luck with it! Good luck with the adults too!
Where are the pictures?? :)
 
Lol

That is mama, when she fires up she is usually like super bright oranges and reds
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This is daddy
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And this is Strudel <3
image12.jpeg

(that was his original person)
 
Yeah they said they picked him up from a petstore like that, which isn't surprising considering how many can be in a cage. Otherwise he is a very happy boy. Doesn't seem to miss it and is relatively social since they have only been with me a little over two days
 
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