Moving the eggs. Why?

[Angelwolf]

I'm just curious. Why do breeders dig up and remove the eggs from the laying bin? Do the benefits out weigh the risks? Don't the babies in the wild have to dig their way out of the Earth and climb the nearest plant? Why not just move the whole bin and incubate it? I am trying to research breeding LONG before I try, so I will have the information before I dive in.

 

[kinyonga]

It's really hard to keep the substrate at the right moisture level or the temperature to some extent if you incubate the eggs where they were laid...so we move them. We can also see if they are fertile or not...whether they are molding or not, etc. If the eggs are spaced about an inch apart in all directions they will hatch more individually which IMHO means they will likely be at their best when they hatch. When hatched in the wild...all at the same time...as is necessary so they can all dig out, they are forced to hatch even if they aren't really ready...if you see what I mean.

 

[CJ's Exotics]

I'm just curious. Why do breeders dig up and remove the eggs from the laying bin? Do the benefits out weigh the risks? Don't the babies in the wild have to dig their way out of the Earth and climb the nearest plant? Why not just move the whole bin and incubate it? I am trying to research breeding LONG before I try, so I will have the information before I dive in.

In the wild, they also have harder dirt which holds a "cave" better, and Panther's in the wild might dig a few inches to find the right dirt. In captivity, it is theorized that maybe they are just looking for the right dirt since all of the dirt is very soft, and they might try to lay against hard surfaces, like the side and dig 12 inches down. All of which is on the Chameleon Breeder Podcast episode "Chameleon Egg Laying Sites".

 

[JacksJill]

Another advantage to moving the eggs is to lay them out so that if one molds it will not as easily spread to other eggs.