Baby in trouble

[AFH]

I need some advice on what I can do if anything.

Backstory: My veiled layed a clutch of 41 back at the beginning of December. For some reason, a majority were undercalcified. I ended up with 4 viable eggs. They incubated in vermiculite and did well, no issues with humidity or temperature until one day in early June when my AC froze up in the lizard house and the temp reached 100. I had an emergency rescue mission and moved all my chams and the eggs into the house overnight and got the AC fixed. Luckily, I didn't lose anyone and the eggs still looked fine.

Two weeks ago, the first egg hatched. It was right at 7 months, so while maybe a little early, it wasn't exactly premature. It had good color but it just wasn't acting right. It would wander around for about 5 minutes, then stop and seem to go to sleep and just sit there. It barely ever opened its eyes. I never saw it drink or eat, though I misted 2x a day and there was always fruit flies available. It eventually expired, probably from dehydration or starvation.

So yesterday, the three others pipped. One made it out of the egg, one never made out of the egg, and the third only got its head out before it died.

The one surviving baby is a lot more active than the first and spends more time with its eyes open, but it seems to be falling into the same pattern as the first. Wandering around more and more with its eyes shut. I can see the eyeballs moving under the lids, its just the lids aren't open.

I've got it in a small cricket Keeper, with fake plants and a paper towel at the bottom. There's a 60 watt bulb above it and the temp in the keeper is 85.

Does anyone have any tips or things I might try to get this one to keep its eyes open and hopefully hunt? I sure don't want to watch another neonate shrivel up and die on me.

Sorry for the long post, thanks for staying with it.

 

[Julirs]

I hate to be the bearer of bad new but it does not sound good for the baby. Sounds like the troubles were from even before these guys were laid with the undercalcification and low viability. Healthy babies are active and have eyes open all day like the older chams. Keep temps in the low 80's or you will risk dehydrating, but it sounds like you are doing all you can. If he makes it over the next few days get him under the UVB.

 

[AFH]

You think the temps are too high? I can probably get them down in the upper 70s and still have a basking spot in the 80s.

 

[Julirs]

My babies have a basking spot in the low 80's and the rest of the tub is room temp at about 74.

 

[FOREVER ENDEAVOR]

My babies have a basking spot in the low 80's and the rest of the tub is room temp at about 74.

these are very desirable temps for raising babys.. 85 is a bit much..

 

[chamlover]

What is your humidity like? We spray our babies at least 3-4 times a day to keep up with it and they are doing super but of course we had no similiar problems with the eggs.

Debby

 

[Kat77]

Wow, I am so sorry to hear about your bad baby luck. It does sound like those problems were probably just there from the beginning and there may very well be nothing you can do about it. I agree with Juli, You need to take the ambient temp down about ten degrees, 85 is basking spot temp, if that. And then just keep an eye out. I hope the little one survivies for you!

 

[Fate X]

when the babies hatch weak they cannot take the intense heat right away.plus they gotta cool off at night ,if its warm all night then you gotta mist them more.
it cools off out here at night so they get crispy in the morning then they wanna warm up.from my experience those weaker hatclings do better with more tolerant temps at the beginning.

 

[kinyonga]

You said..."My veiled layed a clutch of 41 back at the beginning of December. For some reason, a majority were undercalcified"...was this her first clutch? When was she mated and how many days from the mating was it until she laid the eggs?

Do you use a UVB tube light (without glass or plastic between the light and the chameleon)? What supplements did you use (brands and how often for each)?

What temperature did you incubate the eggs at?
How old was the female when she laid the eggs?
Do you have a picture of the eggs from around the time when they were laid?

 

[opihiman]

I am curious... I know next to nothing, but if your chams had a deficiency of calcium would an earlier than normal exposure to limited UVB and calcium suplementation help...

Sorry to hear of the mishap.

OPI

 

[AFH]

You said..."My veiled layed a clutch of 41 back at the beginning of December. For some reason, a majority were undercalcified"...was this her first clutch? When was she mated and how many days from the mating was it until she laid the eggs?

Do you use a UVB tube light (without glass or plastic between the light and the chameleon)? What supplements did you use (brands and how often for each)?

What temperature did you incubate the eggs at?
How old was the female when she laid the eggs?
Do you have a picture of the eggs from around the time when they were laid?

It was acutally her 2nd clutch. She had an infertile clutch on her own then laid her 2nd when she was a little over a year old. I don't have any photos of the eggs.

I use RepCal w/o d-3 a few times a week and minerall w/d3 about twice a month. I didn't really bump up her calcium prior to or during pregnancy, which I have since learned I needed to, hence the low calcified eggs.

I incubated the eggs in the low-mid 70's for the first few months then moved it up in the spring to about 78 (except for that AC mishap).

I have a UV tube Reptisun 5.0. I used it on the 1st baby, but thought maybe it was too intense and that's why the eyes were always closed. This 2nd one seems to be stronger, so I'll put the UV back on it.

It's been hotter than hell here the last month (98-103 every day) and the house ambient temp is about 78, which is about as good as it's going to get.

I'm not holding out a lot of hope, but I'm doing what I can.

Thanks for the help.