[Calfirecap]

I finely got around to crunching the numbers and updating my U. phantasticus growth rate chart. It represents 3 years of data from weekly weighing of phants from hatching to 24 weeks. It does not contain the data from any 'failure to thrive' geckos or those that either died or went missing prior to 12 weeks. The sample size was 110 most of which went the full 24 weeks so I'm pretty confident the information is accurate. With the larger sample size there aren't as many spikes in the graph as before which seems to make sence. I'm no longer taking weekly weights as it got pretty time consuming and I think I have enough information now.
There isn't any Earth shattering value in this project, but I figured I might as well share it anyway. Take a look and see.

Lawrence

[lauraleellbp]

So if I'm reading that correctly (I can't seem to get it to expand very large?), the different colored lines represent groups of geckos with the same hatch weights?

If that's the case, I'm finding it extremely interesting how the heavier/larger hatchlings definitely kept that "advantage" over time- that's true for every single weight group!

Have all your eggs been incubated at the same temperatures (as in- do you use a fridge/incubator that means all of them were kept at the same, constant temp year round?), or how do you incubate?

[Salzy]

It might not be "earth shattering" Lawrence, but it's great information regardless. Nobody else has been doing this as far as I know, and I'm happy that you took the time to do it and put it together for us.

[Calfirecap]

Laurelee,
You are reading it correctly and you are right it doesn't expand very well.
The blue line represents 0.3 gram hatchlings.
The red line represents 0.4 grams hatchlings.
The Yellow line represents 0.5 gram hatchlings.
The Green represents 0.6 gram hatchlings.

As for incubation, I've used a lot of different methods with day time temps ranging from 67.3 up to 70f. I'm currently using a day time temp of 69.8 with a PM temp drop of 2 degrees, but I'm thinking of dropping the day time temp back down a degree.

Salzy,
Thanks and you are welcome, that's what it is all about.

Lawrence

[lauraleellbp]

Have you noticed any difference in ths sizes of your hatchlings in relation to incubation temp?

I'm asking b/c of all the recent experiences Crestie breeders have been documenting of producing much larger, better developed hatchlings when incubating at lower temps. I'm wondering if this could be true for Uroplatus, too?

[David]

that's not new among rhacodactylus, and that's also true for uroplatus, as well as many others species

[Jackp308]

Neat chart. Nice dedication thanks for taking the time to share your info.

Originally Posted by David

that's not new among rhacodactylus, and that's also true for uroplatus, as well as many others species

Ive been told by a successful breeder of Uroplatus sikorae for 10 yrs that lower incubation temps usually produced weaker hatchings with that species.

[David]

it sounds weird to me but I never worked with sikorae though

temps are certainly not the only factor to consider
(otherwise it should have been made with breeders of the same age and weight, with same care, same amount of food, same food quality throughout the experience etc)

then what means lower temps, when you touch one's extremum, it is normal to have bad results

in fact I should have talked about temp range instead of low temps
like many others did observe before myself, hatchlings are usually more robusts, and female ratio is better in many species, when the eggs are incubated in the lower (not the lowest) range with day/night temp difference
(there's no scientific statement here just something heard and observed among many gecko species)

[Calfirecap]

Laurelee,
I can't say if the lower temps result in more robust hatchlings or not, but I do seem to see a slightly higher female to male ratio with the lower temps. The thing is I can't be absolutely certain as there is a seasonal variation with the temps. My incubator doesn't have a cooling element so there are times in the summer when I don't have good control of the temperatures. In other words, I don't have any solid data to substantiate a valid conclusion.