Spring is in the air, Babies are Hatching!!!!

ParabuthusKing

New Member
I won't ramble too much as I am just about as ecstatic as a gopher in the garden, but my Ambilobe babies are starting to hatch!! I have 5 clutches from two separate breeding pairs. This first clutch was 30 robust eggs. 2 molded over quickly and one at about 7 months of incubation. I started with closet method and when temps dropped significantly in the winter I switched over to an incubator. During first 2 months temps were anywhere from 63 F to 79F. I was freaking out about temperature swings but this was no more than about 7 degree spread over a full 24 hr period. Well my anxious parent to be worries have subsided as 26 /27 babies have hatched and are healthy! Now I am just as anxious to do a superb job as a first time grandpa of panther chameleons. It has been a long road to get here which makes me even more enthralled ;) I have approximately 70 more healthy eggs from later clutches incubating right now which should hatch in the next 2-4 months as well. Time to order some dragon stands I think as these appear to be some of the nicer baby racks I have seen for sale currently. One final note as I am learning as I go like most.. I have a huge problem with black ants in my house as I live in rural farmland currently. They bring thousands of larvae and setup shop under roach tubs, transformers for lighting, in the kitchen, etc. I use bait but also breed tarantulas so spraying or bug bomb is not happening. Well, I have noticed there have been about 20 or so ants in each of my baby tubs when I go to check or feed the little tikes. Today when I dropped the Drosophila melanogaster into tubs those little ants vicioouy attacked the flies and were having a hay day of a picnic :( oh I was pissed, so... I never knew black ants were predatory and always thought of them as more scavengers... Not true. My solution: fill 50 dram vials half full of water and place under each leg of rack :)) still need to figure out about power cord to lamps as this poses more danger to introduce water to the setup. Anywho, I rambled enough but haven't posted about my critters much and am so happy words can't describe right now. Pictures are of sire (son of Candy Cane from Chameleon Paradise ) and some of the babies. Pics are terrible as taken from cell phone, but I need to get my camera out for some better shots. Been too busy getting everybody settled in and will be sure to keep updated with baby albums :))
 
Sire: Einstein @ 4 yrs old :)
 

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Dreadful day

Let it be a lesson learned for all.. Today I was cleaning baby tubs and figured the weather couldn't be more perfect for a little outdoor sunshine. I have two clutches so far hatched out within a week of each other for a total of 56 beautiful babies from parents shown above in post. Well I went back in the house to take care of a few things only to come out half hr later and a DANG BLUEJAY was flying out of a tub. Branches all moved about and I lost 11 babies to the #%*# birds. Thank goodness I found them when I did or it could have quickly become a total loss. I am devastated but will continue to have a good attitude as 45 healthy babies remain and I have an additional clutch of 26 hatching right now from a different set of parents. Please let this be a lesson you don't have to experience :(( other babies are doing well and eating and growing like little champs. This is my first success in chameleon breeding so I am still very ecstatic but will NEVER put babies out in bins without heavy duty screen covering all tubs! I will post pics of the cute little ones soon ;))
 
I always put hard wire mesh over the baby bins. Squirrels, birds, possums, cats, kids, etc... Don't hate the blue jay or yourself. Mother nature is mother nature. You can't change her. Like i say, chams are an experience sport. You have learn from your mistakes, more than reading about preventing them. The survivors will now be cautious when they see birds, while outside. Therefore possibly saving them in the future. Look at the positive, not the negative.
 
That is def a lesson learn n thanks or sharing so I don't do the same. But on the bright side ull have more mouths to feed coming soon. Lol
 
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