Is This Normal?

[kinyonga]

I've used the coarse vermiculite for over 25 years and my eggs all do well...I've hatched lots of chameleon species, geckos, water dragons, tortoises, cone heads, etc in it.....but that doesn't mean other things don't work too. I've only had one deformity in all those eggs...it was a cleft palate in a water dragon....which was likely not from the vermiculite.

https://www.vermiculite.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/FAQs.pdf
"Vermiculite itself is safe to use; there is no evidence that any acute or chronic toxicity or carcinogenicity exists from long-term exposure to vermiculite. Any health and safety problems that you may hear about are associated with one specific vermiculite deposit where naturally occurring asbestos minerals developed alongside the vermiculite. When the vermiculite was mined, some asbestos minerals contaminated the vermiculite."

 

[Dbash44]

Phorid flies are the first one that comes to mind. They are about the size of a fruit fly and walk with a jerky walk and the eggs produce tiny white worms.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoridae

I think that may have been them. I don't remember seeing wings and I did not further inspect after I replied last. From what I remember they were fruit fly sized and there was only about 3 or 4 on the chameleon.

The reason I have not touched the incubation media is because I've had two neonates pip in the same container. Going back to what you said about drying eggs out, I don't want to disturb them if they are hatching and get them stuck in a dry egg. I'm just doing my best to monitor and get the neonates out as soon as they are ready.

Right, aluminum silicate is toxic. Some people use plants as a deposit for a female to lay eggs, as in they do in nature. I've lost a bunch of eggs in vermiculite. I currently have 20 or so clutches incubating in superhatch & my own cactus potting mix, they are doing very good and currently hatching, never lost any in what I use. That's just my experience

Interesting. I'll definitely be looking into this. I've only used vermiculite and I'm looking into other options to see what I prefer. Maybe my loss of some eggs, other than what is normal, may have been contributed the the use of vermiculite. I mean I received a lot of these from friends of mine so maybe something went wrong there. I have a pregnant female right now that's going to lay in a few weeks so I'll be debating what to do till then. Thank you

 

[kinyonga]

Pho rid flies seem to walk a lot more than fly so it wouldn't be hard to miss the wings.
If they're pipping I'd wait too! Hope they do ok!

 

[Dbash44]

Pho rid flies seem to walk a lot more than fly so it wouldn't be hard to miss the wings.
If they're pipping I'd wait too! Hope they do ok!

I'll take a gander again when I have to take the neonates out. I know last time I was worried they'd get out if I let the container remain open too long to inspect.

Me too. I'll let you know how they end up. Thank you for your help.

 

[kinyonga]

You're welcome!

 

[salty dog]

Ever soak your hands in aluminum water......aluminum is a man made metal, it's toxic to biological organism, just saying... everybody should use what works for them, to each their own....I check ingredients to everything!! I'm the guy at the grocery store reading the ingredients on all the food....