Cristatus hatchlings

[drewtt]

9 months and 9 days later, the first one pipped.

It took about 48 hours for 10 out of 11 to emerge. Right out of the egg, they have no problem gaping, biting me (well, 2 did), or hurling the stink eye.

This one in particular fell over as soon as I lifted the incubator lid, with handfuls of vermiculite. I think he was getting ready to throw some at me.

Now for some cute ones:

These guys are so cool. So much colour and too much attitude right after hatching.

Drew

 

[Syn]

I can't stop laughing at the one that fell over! Too cute! OVERLOAD

 

[ajacobson]

I can't stop laughing at the one that fell over! Too cute! OVERLOAD

I agree! It really looks like he's going to throw that at you! They are too cute!

 

[chamelisa]

Congratulations! I had my CBs hatch out a couple of weeks ago but it didn't go so smoothly. I had to hatch out four by cutting them out of eggs that were failing. Very scary. Your babies look awesome with excellent colors. I know they will continue to do well. Cristatus are beautiful chameleons.

 

[drewtt]

Congratulations! I had my CBs hatch out a couple of weeks ago but it didn't go so smoothly. I had to hatch out four by cutting them out of eggs that were failing. Very scary. Your babies look awesome with excellent colors. I know they will continue to do well. Cristatus are beautiful chameleons.

Thanks, Elisa.

What prompted you to decide your eggs were failing and required intervention? I ask because my #11 hatched about 2-3 days after the last of the 10 came out, but he came out with a huge egg sac and seems somewhat underdeveloped. When all of the eggs were sweating or pipping, his was still bright enamel white.

Drew

 

[chamelisa]

Thanks, Elisa.

What prompted you to decide your eggs were failing and required intervention? I ask because my #11 hatched about 2-3 days after the last of the 10 came out, but he came out with a huge egg sac and seems somewhat underdeveloped. When all of the eggs were sweating or pipping, his was still bright enamel white.

Drew

The eggs had already sweat at least a day before and were getting very dark. There was no sign of pipping. I also noticed a faint smell of mildew. In the past, this has not been a good sign. I had nothing to lose by trying. I'm so glad I did because they are alive and well.

My previous clutch of CH babies popped out very quickly without any problems.

 

[Trace]

Well our schedules finally jived and I picked up my pair from Drew last night. As a rule chameleons are ungrateful at the best of times, but I'm not sure if I've been hated with such vehemence before. The cristatus are bitey, angry little things! For those of you who know me well, I particularly like the aggressive animals so that's ok by me and I hope they stay that way.

A few pics of them emerging from the egg.

And a few pics from today.

A big thank you to Drew and an even bigger congratulations for doing such an amazing job with this tricky species.
Cheers,
T

 

[chams1]

Excellent job all of you! They are so adorable.

 

[ajacobson]

Well our schedules finally jived and I picked up my pair from Drew last night. As a rule chameleons are ungrateful at the best of times, but I'm not sure if I've been hated with such vehemence before. The cristatus are bitey, angry little things! For those of you who know me well, I particularly like the aggressive animals so that's ok by me and I hope they stay that way.

A few pics of them emerging from the egg.

And a few pics from today.

A big thank you to Drew and an even bigger congratulations for doing such an amazing job with this tricky species.
Cheers,
T

AMAZING PICS! I love how these ones look like little aliens.

 

[Orchidartist]

Congratulations! They are so adorable

Trace, stunning photography!!! The first two pics are amazing.

 

[jaf]

congratulations, great job, especially knowing that this kind is so hard to maintenance and reproduction

 

[CleaTheChameleon]

WOW! Congrats! They look awesome

 

[Eszzie]

They are so adorable! Amazing how they have their triangle shaped heads with the colors a bit showing already right after hatching! Beautiful species, only one that was missing out in our collection of Cameroon.

 

[drewtt]

I'm a total shutterbug today. Here are a few new photos.
Babies are doing well and growing much quicker than I was expecting.

Drew

 

[Eszzie]

beautiful and so cute! You can see a good difference between male and female? I guess males are greener and have bright blue on the casques right?

 

[kinyonga]

Did they all hatch? (I remember there were 10/11 hatched at the beginning of this thread). Did you lose any since they hatched? How many males? Females?

 

[Trace]

beautiful and so cute! You can see a good difference between male and female? I guess males are greener and have bright blue on the casques right?

Actually quite the opposite. As adults the males tend to be red/brown while the females are primarily green. Following is a pic of my pair at about one month old and you can see the colour difference already. At birth though, the males crests are definitely more pronounced and larger/longer and they have a subtle hemipenal bulge. Male on left, female on right.

Both sexes have the blue 'crown' but I've found it's definitely more pronounced when they are hunting or stressed. The cristatus are by far the angriest babies I have ever worked with. They are intolerant of almost everything.

Did they all hatch? (I remember there were 10/11 hatched at the beginning of this thread). Did you lose any since they hatched? How many males? Females?

Drew lost that last baby almost right away - it had a hard time getting out of the egg and was just weak from the get go. I believe he has lost one other smaller baby at about the one month mark. Everyone else is doing very well. I'm babysitting his collection this week so I'll get a final count on the sexes.

Cheers,
T

 

[lisa h]

Are they still nasty and hateful? They look pretty calm in your photos. I was wondering if they are a species that's "fiesty".

Ah, you answered my question.

 

[kinyonga]

Thanks Trace! I hoped they would do well!

 

[Cainschams]

They look great guys!!! I hope they grow up to be even angrier than now!! Especially your pair T