Single Panther hatchling at 6.5 months

[KCcham]

Good morning everyone. Yesterday my son and I were checking on our Panther eggs that have been incubating for about six and a half months, when we noticed that one had just hatched! All the other eggs show no sign of change. Is it normal to have one hatch at this time during incubation? With my vields before, it has always been a mass hatching within several hours of each other.

On a related note, what are the chances of this hatchling making it after a rather shirt incubation time?

Thanks in advance for the help,

Jeffrey

 

[Olimpia]

What are your incubation temps?

I can't help you with his chances, but lets hope they're good!

 

[Todnedo]

***edit***

 

[KCcham]

The temps have been right at 73 for the entire time. Then, last week it got hot here in KC and the temp went up to close to 80 for most of the day before we were able to turn on the AC at home. Besides that, they have been in the dark closet at the same temp for the six months.

 

[Lancecham]

6.5 month incubation time is something which happens ocassionly. I am sure other members here have experienced that without any problems to the babies.
I have had panther clutches hatch out after 5.25 and 5.5 months without any problem.
It isn't uncommon for a single baby to emerge before the others. I'm sure the others will follow very shortly.

 

[Kent67]

It can vary and 6.5 months is about the mininum time. Sometimes clutches will hatch over a short time, sometimes quite spread out. I had one clutch start hatching in December and finish in late April with about 95% of the eggs hatching large, healthy babies. Sounds fine to me.

 

[KCcham]

Thank you very much for your input, I will let you know how things turn out.

I am just happy that we have a ton of fruit flies for our dart frogs, so at least I was prepared with something for him to eat!

 

[Cainschams]

Hey Jeffrey,

If it appears fully developed and is eating, drinking, etc then it should do fine.

Congrats and I hope it does well! Is this baby from Vanessa? If so that makes DH and Mrs. Fireball grand parents for the fourth time!! Maybe even more if no one else has told me about it Great work and where are the pics?

 

[KCcham]

You are exactly right! This is the first baby from Vanessa! She actually retained some sperm from the first breeding and dropped an additional 30 eggs a few months later! She was acting really odd and looked fat, so I put her in the egg laying bin and she went right at it! I will post some pics when I get home later today. Our son Parker was so excited, his facebook status yesterday was all about the new baby Cham!

I didn't see him eat yesterday, when I took him out of the incubation box, he changed to the lighter color and was very active. After I put him in the new home, he just looked mad. Hopefully today he will start eating something!

 

[Cainschams]

You are exactly right! This is the first baby from Vanessa! She actually retained some sperm from the first breeding and dropped an additional 30 eggs a few months later! She was acting really odd and looked fat, so I put her in the egg laying bin and she went right at it! I will post some pics when I get home later today. Our son Parker was so excited, his facebook status yesterday was all about the new baby Cham!

I didn't see him eat yesterday, when I took him out of the incubation box, he changed to the lighter color and was very active. After I put him in the new home, he just looked mad. Hopefully today he will start eating something!

Very nice!!! It can take 2 or three days for them to start eating so dont get too worried if it doesnt start today. Cant wait for the pics

 

[reptoman]

I had the same experience last Monday night when checking the egg container in my closet. I had 2 pipped eggs that turned into 2 baby panthers by Tueday afternoon. I now have 6 babies out of 9 possible eggs. One egg has not shrunk at all so I am anxious to see how long that one will hold out. They were laid Dec 20th 2009 so just about 6.5 months.

 

[chamlover]

Isn't that a nice surprise? Had the exact thing happen to me years ago. Just checking on the eggs and see this beautiful looking baby looking back at me. He grew up to very healthy and a very handsome boy.

 

[KCcham]

So far everything seems to be going well with him.......i have not actually seen him eat yet tho. I have had no other eggs hatch yet.....but my son keeps checking all the time! I am not sure if he is excited about having cool panther babies, or the fact that we are splitting the $$$$ with him when we sell them, and he will finally have enough money for the go kart he has been wanting

 

[BocaJan]

My babies have all taken 5 days before they start to pick at some fruit flies. After 7-10 days you can't keep them full! Thank heavens I am about out of fruit flies and then will feed them 1/4's. I can put them in bigger containers then to run around better and not worry about fruit flies getting out.,

How do you keep fruit flies in the baby boxes without putting on lids (which doesn't work very well BTW) Those flies can find the smallest exit imaginable. I put doubled veil material over my plastic show boxes and clip them all around tightly. Makes it hard to feed the babies, but I am getting pretty good at it. I keep them in shoe boxes so the babies can climb on the veiling to hunt.

 

[KCcham]

What do your baby boxes look like? Could you post a pic of one or a link? ( im sure you have one on here I just couldnt find it this morning.)

 

[BocaJan]

Have a look. There are 12 babies in each box. Next week I will be placing them in bigger bins in my nursery and they will have UVB along with basking lamps. I have places for 8 bins. Should be enough.

 

[KCcham]

Thanks for the pic! I don't have anything covering the top of the baby box now....but it's in the reptile room so my wife doesn't care if fruit flies get out in there. The other day one of the bug feeder roaches got out of the room and was in the house, my wife about had a cow!

 

[KCcham]

Forgot to ask, what kind of plants do you have in there? I have always used fake plants in the past.

Also, could you use a large rubber band to go around the lip of the boxes and hold the veil material instead of all the clips? That might be easier when it comes time to feed?

 

[KCcham]

Well, I had another one hatch today. It was from the same clutch, but a different incubating box. Maybe this is just going to drag out?????

On another note, I have yet to see the first baby eat anything at all! The FF could be escaping thru the holes in the screen, but there does seem to be fewer of them each day. I am misting twice a day and the temps are inthe high 70s to low 80s. I am offering two sizes of FF as well. Anything I should be doing different? I am sure he has to be eating when i am not watching, I would not think that a hatchling could survive this long without eating anything!

Thanks again, Jeffrey