[cavecreeker]

Hello all,
When I looked at our viv this morning, something looked different...for the first time in almost a year, there was a significant amount of sand that was MOVED (like a burrow was excavated under the water dish)...so I knew there were probably eggs buried somewhere and sure enough, under the water dish we found 2 eggs! Of course I scolded my husband for lifting the dish in the first place because we never touch it (just fill it) because one of our desert bandeds is always under there curled up enjoying the moist environment.

Anyway, panic mode has set in because I want to take care of these eggs as best possible and I'm afraid that one of the other adults is going to harm the eggs...I am at work now and this project has to wait until I get home tonight which makes me even more panicked.

So...advice please????? We have 3.3.1 Coleonyx Variegatus and we have another vivarium that we are going to set up tonight to separate whoever I need to separate. That's where the questions come in...I am pretty sure I know which male and which female are the breeding pair, so would you suggest that I keep the breeding pair together WITH the eggs? Or, will the male harm the eggs and should we only keep the female in there with her eggs? PLEASE HELP...any suggestions would be very much appreciated!

Thank you!

[rattlesnake082]

Hey Cavecreeker,

there's no need to panic. The best thing would be to bed the eggs on moist vermiculite in a cricket box or something like that and incubate them at approximately 80°F/28°C. You can place the cricket box with the eggs in it in the vivarium at a spot where temperatures are around 80°F during daytime (falling temperatures at night should be no problem as long as they stay in the low 70s at least.

Good luck with the eggs and the youngsters! Keep us updated!

[cavecreeker]

Thanks for the advice rattlesnake...do the eggs always have to be completely separated? Why can't they just hang out underneath the water dish? I thought geckos were communal, so wouldn't it be ok to keep the breeding pair in with the eggs (separate from the rest of the gang), or at least keep mom in there with the eggs? I know, my complete inexperience is showing.

So, it's ALWAYS best for the eggs to be completely separate from the rest of the group?

[rattlesnake082]

Originally Posted by cavecreeker

So, it's ALWAYS best for the eggs to be completely separate from the rest of the group?

I would say YES. There's no reason to let the eggs uner the water dish (in your case). You can control the incubation conditions (temperature, moisture of substrate) much better when you remove the eggs.

To let mom stay with the eggs is not necessary. In my opinion the risk that the hatchlings are attacked by the adults is too high.

I hope this helps

Good luck,
Martin

[cavecreeker]

Great - thank you for the wonderful advice. Ok, next newbie question....what is vermiculite and can I find it at Petco?

Thank you!!!

[rattlesnake082]

Hey,

I searched the petco.com website for vermiculite - no results.

Vermiculite is the #1 incubation substrate for soft shelled reptile eggs. You should get in in every reptile shop.

Keep us updated!

-Martin

[acpart]

You might have more luck in a garden store. Make sure it's pure vermiculite and not treated with fertilizer or anything like that.

Aliza

[cavecreeker]

Thank you so much for educating me on vermiculite. I will seek it out today. But, since I didn't find any on my way home from work last night (yep, Petco), then I went ahead and move the eggs to a strawberry container with moist play sand topped with moist moss. The egg container is now in it's very own vivarium close enough to the undertank heat source, so sitting at a nice 78 degrees or so. I moved all the adults to a bigger and better viv. But, I know this is just a quick fix. Tonight I will switch the eggs to this vermiculite. This forum is the best...thanks for the education. Oh, and it looks like we might be getting some more eggs soon...one of the other females is looking VERY fat around the mid-section!

[cavecreeker]

I can't find vermiculite, except I went online to Home Depot (thanks for the garden store idea "acpart") and this is what I found that they carry...is this really the stuff I'm supposed to put the eggs in?

This is what it says...

Vermiculite is an organic, sterile, weed-free mineral. It is light weight and is used as a component of soilless potting mixes to retain water and nutrients to feed roots, cuttings, and seeds.

OMRI certified
Organic
Retains water

If anyone answers yes that this is the stuff, I'm picking up a bag after work today. Thanks for helping out the newbie to this egg-laying process!!!

[rattlesnake082]

That's exactly what you need!