White worms on egg

[SerpeRoma]

Hey everyone! It's almost time for my eggs to hatch so I've been checking them often lately, today I found something a bit concerning though.

One of the 17 eggs in this container has white worms (looking like parasites) crawling on it. The other ones don't. Anybody knows what it is? Should I isolate the egg?

 

[Beman]

Yeah I am not an expert... But that is not right and the eggs themselves look off in color compared to all the others I have seen posted.

@kinyonga @javadi

 

[jamest0o0]

Looks like white worms/nematodes of some sort. Most are nothing to worry about and even beneficial. Are the eggs near any plants or any soil? If not, maybe they were in your enclosure when you transferred over. Since they’re about to hatch I can’t imagine any reptile parasites would survive that long without a host.

 

[Beman]

Looks like white worms/nematodes of some sort. Most are nothing to worry about and even beneficial. Are the eggs near any plants or any soil? If not, maybe they were in your enclosure when you transferred over. Since they’re about to hatch I can’t imagine any reptile parasites would survive that long without a host.

 

[SerpeRoma]

This is the container, the one with these worms is the top left one.
They've been incubating since January and I've never noticed anything on them until today. I'm storing them in a closet away from plants and soil, adding distilled water in the perlite every 2 weeks or when the substrate is getting dry.

 

[kinyonga]

Do you have phorid flies in your house?

 

[SerpeRoma]

Do you have phorid flies in your house?

not that I know of..

 

[kinyonga]

They look like this and walk with a jerky motion...about the size of a fruit fly...

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6f/Phorid_fly2.jpg/640px-Phorid_fly2.jpg

 

[SerpeRoma]

They look like this and walk with a jerky motion...about the size of a fruit fly...

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6f/Phorid_fly2.jpg/640px-Phorid_fly2.jpg

nope never seen these

 

[jamest0o0]

@kinyonga those are too long to be phorids. My money is still on that they’re white worms that hitched a ride in one way or another and made the moist perlite home.

 

[kinyonga]

I just hope that they aren't something that will eat into the eggs.

 

[jamest0o0]

I just hope that they aren't something that will eat into the eggs.

I was thinking the same as I’m sure some species of nematodes could, but if they haven’t by now then they should be nothing to be worried about. These are very common in soil, just don’t always notice them.

 

[SerpeRoma]

I'll keep an eye on it! thanks guys

 

[jamest0o0]

Good luck

 

[kinyonga]

The chance is that if they do eat into the egg, they will do it from underneath. If you lift the egg to look you need to be careful not to turn it and disturb the embryo....so it's hard to know whether to look or not.

 

[kinyonga]

Do the eggs look like annelids to you?

I just looked up phorid fly larva and @james is right (not surprised!)! However, those worms look like the same ones I've seen on a lot of egg photos....it would be nice to know what they really are.

 

[jamest0o0]

Do the eggs look like annelids to you?

I just looked up phorid fly larva and @james is right (not surprised!)! However, those worms look like the same ones I've seen on a lot of egg photos....it would be nice to know what they really are.

When you saw these on eggs, we’re they harming them? I didn’t realize you’ve seen these before, I’ve never seen them on eggs, just in soil.

 

[kinyonga]

When you saw these on eggs, we’re they harming them? I didn’t realize you’ve seen these before, I’ve never seen them on eggs, just in soil.

I can't swear they were the exact same worms because it's been quite a while since I saw them on my eggs...but they break into the eggs from underneath and eat whatever is in the egg...or maybe they are inside the egg and break out? Breaking out makes less sense to me though somehow.

 

[jamest0o0]

I can't swear they were the exact same worms because it's been quite a while since I saw them on my eggs...but they break into the eggs from underneath and eat whatever is in the egg...or maybe they are inside the egg and break out? Breaking out makes less sense to me though somehow.

Yeah I mean I guess it is possible depending on the type of worm, especially with Cham eggs. Probably not inside breaking out? I believe it is extremely rare for parasites to be within eggs, but I may be wrong. Thought I remembered reading something about that though.

 

[kinyonga]

You said..."Yeah I mean I guess it is possible depending on the type of worm, especially with Cham eggs. Probably not inside breaking out? I believe it is extremely rare for parasites to be within eggs, but I may be wrong. Thought I remembered reading something about that though"...I'm pretty sure it's rare for parasite worms to be in the eggs too.