32 eggs.....

[Trace]

It won't dry up if you keep the lid on the RubberMaid or Gladware or whatever container you are using.

It will dry out if you keep opening the lid (a big no no!) to check the eggs and/or poke holes in it. If you feel better about two holes in the lid for some air exchange, then makes sure they are tiny!

Nobody has mentioned this either; but make the bed of Vermiculite or HatchRite about 2" deep.

t

 

[apple]

ok so the only thing I found by my house that I can get rite away is perlite.....what do you think about that and how would I use it..also trace would 2 pencil size holes be big..??

 

[Trace]

I've never used the Perlite so I can't comment on it. I've talked to other reptile people who have used it for chameleon eggs and they like it.

If Perlite is all you can find quickly, then go with that. Again, like the vermiculite, it has to be moistened to incubate the eggs properly. Just enough water to make the medium damp but won't drip any water when you squeeze it.

I don't use holes! Never have. Never will. I like keeping the air pressure and temps/humidity stable in my containers. Kinyonga - whom I have a deep respect for - does use a few holes in her incubation containers. If you want two holes in your lid, then go for it. The width of a pencil (1/4"?) seems too big for me. Go smaller like the tip of a pencil. (1/16")

Again, cool and dark. Got a closet that isn't used much? You don't want a lot of light reaching the eggs.

Cheers!
t

 

[Ren]

pencil size holes would be a bit large i think, most folks that ues that method use about a 1/8 inch hole.....or even a push pin or needle to make their holes...

 

[Dyesub Dave]

You put it in a tupperware container with a few small pinholes in the sides near the top for slight air exchange - some here say not to use pinholes - and then make some indents in the vermiculite with your finger about 1 inch or so apart. Then you CAREFULLY place the eggs in the indentations with approx. half of the egg in the vermiculite and put the lid on the container. You can use cardboard like I did to help with the condensation on the lid.

Then you put them somewhere safe like on a shelf in a closet or something where the temps will stay fairly constant and WAIT. I check on mine every 4 or 5 days just to make sure that everything is OK. Apparently if the eggs start to cave in it's due to lack of moisture. You can always spray some water into the vermiculite around the edges of the container but be VERY CAREFUL not to get water on the eggs. And if the eggs start to fungus they are either no good or too moist ... I think !! Some of the other experts here might know better.

BTW - Did you check out the thread with my egg setups. There's some pics there.

Dyesub Dave.

 

[Dyesub Dave]

Man you guys are quick!! LOLOL

Yeah I just used a few pinholes in mine!!

Dyesub Dave.

 

[apple]

wow thanks everyone.....ok so I'm going to get perlite since I want to finish all this today and not disturbe the eggs.....I'm just still not sure of the temps should I keep it in my boiler room where rite now its about in the upper 70's to low 80'S or somewhere cooler...if cooler what's the lowest temp..

 

[Smitty]

Something else I haven't seen mentioned, please make sure you don't rotate the eggs when you put them in the new container. I don't know how many days it takes, but the eggs will settle in eventually and HAVE TO be kept with the same side pointing up from that point until they hatch.

You may want to put a dot of something like a felt tip marker on the side that is up right now to be sure it is up when you move them.

 

[Dyesub Dave]

There's an excellent article on chameleon eggs that was pointed out to me here:

http://www.chameleonnews.com/year2003/mar2003/eggs/egg_incubation.html

Read through that and it should answer many of your egg related questions!

From what I have read about Veiled eggs it is better to err on the cool side than to have your temps too warm. I would think that anything between 65 and 82 would be fine but once again I'm certainly no expert on the subject.

Dyesub Dave.

 

[apple]

dave where did you find out the temps for incubating diff types of cham eggs because my eggs are flap neck not veild so I want to make sure of the temps

 

[Dyesub Dave]

Oh sorry .... for some reason I thought you had veiled chams. I would think a search on the net using the keywords Flapneck Chameleon should find you tons of information. Or better yet try .... 'Breeding Flapneck Chameleons'.



Actually I couldn't find too much on the net. Here's a couple of links though .....

http://www.chameleonnews.com/dilepis.html
http://www.chameleontradehouse.nl/en/ch-dilepis-en.html

This page had to be translated but you can still make out the details ...

http://translate.google.com/transla...=s&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&hs=NAZ&sa=G



Dyesub Dave.

 

[kinyonga]

Thanks for the comments Trace!

Everyone has little differences in the way they incubate the eggs...substrate, containers, temperatures, etc. We all have to do what works for us. I have never used perlite...but it works well for many people...hatchrite has also worked well for people. I have tried various soils, sands and the fine grained vermiculite and none of them have given me any success.

I use a kitchen skewer (the kind that are very fine and used to hold the opening in a turkey shut after you stuff it) to put the two holes in the lid of the incubation containers....so the holes are quite small. I put the holes in the lid rather than the side of the container because I have found that the container seems to dry out quicker when they are on the side. (Makes no sense to me as to why...but its been my experience.)

I use containers that are about 4 inches deep and fill them about half full of vermiculite. This leaves some "head room" so that when the eggs hatch, the hatchlings have room to move around in the container until you can take them out.

I check the eggs quickly...lid off, look quick, lid back on...to keep the humidity in. If the eggs start to dent in then a little water can be added around the edges (NOT on the eggs)....but as was already said...don't add too much because its hard to dry it out again if you add too much.

Brandy...where are you? Maybe you could suggest a temperature range for incubation?

 

[apple]

dave I read that article already but just re read it a very intreting article when I get home ill do some research on the web

 

[Dyesub Dave]

Hey Apple,

I edited my previous post and added some links that may help. Check 'em out!!

Dyesub Dave.

 

[Kent67]

My $.02

I just wanted to contribute because of the differences among some of us "old-timers." I like what kinyonga said, that what works for some may not work for or be preferred by others. 1st, I have also only used vermiculite. Second, although I've realized it isn't "natural" I was told early on to put holes in the lid. I've always used quite a few small holes actually. Probably like 15 pin-head size holes. At this point, I've found a method that has worked very well and probably won't change it. I suspect it could have something to do with the higher humidity where I live. Or just that I do check on the eggs often enough to make sure problems can be caught before causing actual damage to the eggs. Again, when eggs look dented or the verm seems too dry you can add water to the vermiculite. I use an eye dropper or syringe.

As to the eggs. I believe a good egg is a pretty hardy, tolerant thing. As long as they aren't cooked, frozen, dried out, or drowned a good egg will hatch. Although I do my best to be careful, I know I've had condensation drops fall on many eggs that hatched without a problem. I dropped a clutch of C. quadricornis eggs during a move and hadn't marked the topsides. It was a long time ago but I only had a few eggs that didn't hatch. I've heard from other keepers the same thing. You don't want to rotate them like a chicken egg or anything, but if they get disoriented, there's a chance they will hatch if they're in a position that the embryo isn't smothered by the yolk.

Now the question. I've never had to deal with egg-binding so I am not that familiar with exactly where these eggs are at. How long does it take after the egg-laying time has passed for it to take the female's life? How long ago was that for apple's female? What does that imply about the "age" of the eggs he has? Are they a day old? Weeks?

 

[apple]

kent your rite those are important questions....how can I find out the answers??

 

[Dyesub Dave]

Hey Kent,

I like your suggestion about the eyedropper ... that's an EXCELLENT idea ... and so simple. I hate it when I miss things like that!! LOL I hope that you're right about the eggs .... March/April seems so far away to me!!

I believe that I mixed some play sand with the vermiculite that my eggs are in. I figured that it would help retain moisture. I just can't remember if I did that with both egg containers or just one?

Sorry I don't have any answers for ya on the egg binding issue!

Dyesub Dave.

 

[Kent67]

I like your suggestion about the eyedropper ...

Slow, but works well. I'm now using a larger plastic tipped syringe I got from the vet. It makes small drops and takes a while too, but it's accurate and holds a lot more water than the eye dropper.

Brandy...where are you? Maybe you could suggest a temperature range for incubation?

No kidding...

 

[Brandy]

No kidding...

Lay off iv been avoiding these posts like the plague (stick out toung smile face inserted here)

here is my 2 cents for what its worth


According to the info i have some across they can hatch quite fast (4-6 months) in temps in the mid 20's C or higher.

Personally I treated them like panthers as i don't feel comfy warming eggs up. So i keep them around 20C in my bed room which is in a basement in Canada took 11 months to hatch yikes i know but i think i got healthy babies. now temps varied in the winter it can be as low as 15 down there over night.

MAIN TIP WITH EGGS Keep the container closed do not open it only open it to check moisture levels continues opening of the container changes humididty ect.

 

[apple]

stupid question.....when you say check moisture you open the lid make sure the eggs are fine and make sure the moisture is present or do you use some kind of meter...how much moisture should there be...sorry for the question