Another egg question

[Alex]

I should know by now but is this egg developing? Its quite small



Thanks again

[shellonia]

Wouldnt think so Alex but you don't say how many days its been incubating?

[EJ]

That egg is almost 80 to 90% empty but it looks like it is still alive which is amazing. If that hatches out it would be the tiniest thing.

What are you humidity levels?

[Alex]

Thanks Shellonia- the egg is about 3 months old (its a pancake)

Thanks Ed - so does that look like something is happening but its just very small? The egg itself is also very small. Humidity is around 60% but i have been told with this species humidity isn't that important and I don't keep that close an eye on the levels.

[egyptiandan64]

Does the egg feel lighter (weight wise) now than it did when it was laid? At 3 months old it's not looking good to me.

Danny

[EJ]

From what I can see most of the egg is gone... evaporated. I don't think it will do any good but you never know... increase the humidity. At three months the egg should have gone bad(turned black or some dark color or exploded) if it was bad. That egg looks oddly good but I wouldn't expect it to hatch. I wouldn't be surprised if you found a dried up embryo in there.

That humidity is very low for any species of chelonian.

Can you candle the egg from the side you took the photo of... so you get a shot of the back side of the one viewed?

Originally Posted by Alex

Thanks Shellonia- the egg is about 3 months old (its a pancake)

Thanks Ed - so does that look like something is happening but its just very small? The egg itself is also very small. Humidity is around 60% but i have been told with this species humidity isn't that important and I don't keep that close an eye on the levels.

[Alex]

Dan would lighter mean its evaporated thus not going to develop? If so that egg that has gone really dark (doesn't smell) is very light, so would that one be a gonna? This egg probably isnt any lighter

Thanks Ed I will try getting the angle of photo. What humidity would you recommend?

Probably a very basic question but does too low humidity cause eggs to loose too much moisture and potentially kill the egg?

Thanks

Originally Posted by EJ

From what I can see most of the egg is gone... evaporated. I don't think it will do any good but you never know... increase the humidity. At three months the egg should have gone bad(turned black or some dark color or exploded) if it was bad. That egg looks oddly good but I wouldn't expect it to hatch. I wouldn't be surprised if you found a dried up embryo in there.

That humidity is very low for any species of chelonian.

Can you candle the egg from the side you took the photo of... so you get a shot of the back side of the one viewed?

[EJ]

I don't understand the mechanism for gas exchange in a tortoise egg. If they are kept too moist they can absorb to much moisture and crack. If they are kept too dry the internal contents can evaporate. Adding more moisture does not replenish the moisture in the egg but can reduce further loss.

I believe the ideal humidity is 100% with a dry substrate. I don't think it should be any less than 80% but, again, the substrate should be on the dry side.

There's a few people on this forum who have hatched out Pancakes. Did you see the setup of the guy I posted from CaptiveBred forum?. I'd contact him. He seems to have been very successful in hatching them out.

Originally Posted by Alex

Dan would lighter mean its evaporated thus not going to develop? If so that egg that has gone really dark (doesn't smell) is very light, so would that one be a gonna? This egg probably isnt any lighter

Thanks Ed I will try getting the angle of photo. What humidity would you recommend?

Probably a very basic question but does too low humidity cause eggs to loose too much moisture and potentially kill the egg?

Thanks

[Alex]

Thanks Ed, not much point contacting the guy from captivebred as that guy is me

Had 7 out of 7 hatch last year. This year hasn't started as well but i do have a few developing.

[EJ]

Well... that settles it then. If you can't talk to yourself... who can you talk to.

That egg does look really dried out but good like the person who posted the eggs that were 1/3 full that all hatched. The tortoises were the tiniest I've ever heard of.

What is the normal incubation period that you've had?

Originally Posted by Alex

Thanks Ed, not much point contacting the guy from captivebred as that guy is me

Had 7 out of 7 hatch last year. This year hasn't started as well but i do have a few developing.