Should I excavate eggs which have been in soil for some months?

[mphelps]

Due to work-related travel, I was away when my female C.t. pfefferi deposited a clutch of eggs in her terrarium. She lives in a large glass ExoTerra cage, which is heavily planted with tropical plants and has automatic misting. The soil in the terrarium is a perfect environment for the eggs, and they are likely developing normally.

Due to indecision on my part, I have left the clutch in the soil where it was deposited, and the eggs have been down there for probably four months. But as a potential hatch date approaches, I am getting nervous. I currently have no extra cage for the mom, and I would hate for her to eat the babies, if they hatch with her present.

Does anyone have experience excavating and incubating a clutch which has been in the ground for a few months? It's probably an experiment to be avoided, but I thought I'd check with other forum members.

Also, I have five baby pfefferi from an earlier clutch, and they are doing great.

Thanks.

 

[Seeco]

I think the value of the babies can justify setting up a whole new cage for mom.

Do you know exactly where the eggs are? Have they gotten too wet?

If you are really concerned and you know exactly where they are you can hatch them in situ by covering the whole chamber area with a clear, ventilated container. A cage within your cage. It needs to be much bigger since you don't know what route they will take to escape the chamber.

You can also lift out the whole clutch by using a coffee can on the soil like a cookie cutter but don't do that just yet.

 

[mphelps]

Seeco,

I think that your cage-within-a-cage idea is a good one. I know exactly where the eggs are. They are in a corner of the cage, which makes creating a secondary cage around them a little easier. I am confident that they are not too wet. The soil is deep, and the mister is not producing sogginess. They should be fine.

Thanks.

 

[pssh]

I second the whole new cage or cage within a cage idea. With the rarity of the babies, I would just set up a whole new cage for the mother though. Just my opinion.

 

[Ulrich]

Yup. Buy a new cage for the mom to be sure. I would give the babies more space, especially if you are away while they hatch (temp. gradient etc.).

 

[Seeco]

Hey lets see what you have decided to do!