[Barnaby]

Hi all!

Last week I was taking a look at my kuhli's enclosure and I found 4 eggs glued to a wall! I very happy about this, not only because of possible newcomers, but also because I feel that I'm doing things right... this is not a very easy species, specially if WC, like mine!

Couple of questions...

Is it normal for them to lay 4 eggs? I though they layed 2 eggs and in another month 2 more...

What can I do to protect the eggs? I cannot remove them or the background and I cannot put some plastic cup on top of the eggs because the background is full of crevices, trust me on this... what can I do more?

Assuming I cannot protect the eggs, are adults that violent with their youngs? They are living in a rather big enclosure (exo 60x60x45cm) and it's heavily planted (and I mean heavily!). Can I trust the adults?

Well, that's all for now... I'll upload some pics when I get my camera ready!

Take care!

[Elizabeth Freer]

Hi Barnaby ~

For starters, please note the very recent thread by Marisa in this very same subforum which is entitled: "Flying Geckos - How to protect these eggs?"

See how that very recent thread with advice posted by GU members and Ptychozoon kuhli breeders Palor and Thorrshamri as recently as 22 July 2010 does with giving you some ideas . Thorrshamri has a suggestion about using a piece of a nylon stocking/pantyhose! Maybe a section of nylon net?

Usually these geckos will lay two eggs at a time, so there is a good possibility that two of the eggs have been there for awhile. That is assuming you have a pair of adults.

[thorrshamri]

Flying Geckos - How to protect these eggs?

This is the thread mentioned by Elizabeth above

Besides, NO, don't leave babies with parents, they would end up as snacks

Small enclosures with the same settings and conditions than for the adults, say 15x15x20 or 25 cm ones, will be ideal to house your juveniles individually.

And I would agree with Elizabeth on the first two eggs coming from a clutch you didn't notice at first.

Last thing, when you are spraying, avoid spraying on the eggs themselves, but heavily spraying around them will help

Good luck!

[thorrshamri]

To protect those eggs: leave them where they are, don't move them. Just put a piece of extensible nylon like a piece of panties or stockings -this will enable air circulation. You can glue the edges of that piece of nylon with non-toxic glue called here "fish glue". A History of Fish Glue as an Artist's Material

[Barnaby]

Hi everyone!

Long story coming!!

Well, I tried that nylon thingie to protect the eggs, but couldn't make it work... so I left the eggs with a cup on top, unfortunately it doesn't fit 100% on the background and today I noticed that 2 eggs were hatched (probably hatched yesterday, can't tell for sure) and no hatchling on sight!
I Tried to look on the vivarium for the hatchlings, but my vivarium is HEAVILY planted with lots of branches, so imagine my difficulty trying to find such a small thing!! I moved the first branch and found 2 more eggs hiding (now on glass ) which made it easier to secure them. Egg count:6(!)

After moving one of the branches I noticed one little greyish miniature version of the parents, I grabbed him and put in in a storage plastic box with a rock and a branch for shelter. Then I went to pick up the other... but I thought it might be better to catch the parents first (to avoid having them zooming around the vivarium and to let me move the brachs and plants without risk of having one of the adults jumping outside). I caught the male easily, but the female is bigger and more skittish. I saw her in a corner, made my move, she jumped, I grabbed her tail (only place I could grab), some plants shacked, she detached the tail, fell on the floor of my house at the same time the other hatchling fell on the floor (it must have been hiding in those plants)!! So, I have 2 seconds to decide, 1 hatchling and an adult without tail on the floor side by side!

I thought of my girlfriend and how she HATES lizards, so instinctively I went for the adult (it would be harder to explain a free ADULT gecko). She ran behind some furniture, but eventually I caught her... bad news are, I lost the hatchling...

So... the final report: The adults are back on the cage, the female lost the tail, the 2 new eggs are secured, the other 2 are not 100% secure, but that's the best I can do. I have one hatchling on a plastic container with 3 2-week-old crics (I think that I have only one, but can't say for sure) and one lost hatchling.

Q's:

- Any tip on catching the lost hatchling?
- Is it dangerous for an adult to lose the tail (she a fatty, btw)?
- I left the plastic container almost empty to help the hatchling find its food, just a rock and a small branch, did I do well? I also sprayed one of the corners.
- How long does it usually takes for the second clutch to hatch after the first?

Thanks in advance!

[thorrshamri]

The female will regrow her tail, no problem. Just put some disinfectant to make sure there will be no infection- yellow betadine or chlorexhidine are the best choices.

As for the hatchling... Definitely a challenge. I'd use an open container, well in sight not far from ground level in the middle of the room, with a daily spray inside it (the baby will dehydrate very rapidly if it has no access to any drinking water), a small piece of bark and tiny food insects, but to be honest your chances to find the baby back alive are very small. Good luck!

[Barnaby]

I found the little bugger!!
Little more than 24 hours after his disappearence, I found him on top of my window. He was lost in my "reptile-room",so there's a lot of humidity,plants, one big turtle tank and the main terrarium. I don't know if he ate anything (there's some small spiders lost in that room, feeding on lost crics),but he sure was feisty when I caught him... he bite me and all! He's now with his brother in a small container inside their parents terrarium with 3 small crics. He looks smaller than the other, but let's hope for the best!

[thorrshamri]

Great news! I wouldn't have bet a cent on you finding the baby again

[Barnaby]

Originally Posted by thorrshamri

Great news! I wouldn't have bet a cent on you finding the baby again

Yep... I was losing faith also! I sprayed behind the big turtle tank a few time this last couple of days (I think he was hiding there) so he wouldn't dehydrate. Of course he's VERY small... smaller than his brother, so I don't know if he'll make it.

[thorrshamri]

If you keep it alone in a small tank with enough (and not too much) humidity that should work...no reason it shouldn't! If it has survived outside a terrarium for so long then don't worry