A clutch of eggs, uncovered for the purpose of taking a photo.
A clutch of eggs, uncovered for the purpose of taking a photo.
Rather than listing the eggs laid in the stories of each individual monitor, I thought I'd just keep a record of it all here. Due to a new incubation method I am trying, which involves disturbing the eggs as little as possible, I may not get an accurate count of the eggs until after they hatch.
Expected hatching date on eggs is six to nine months after being layed.
All eggs so far are layed in damp green potting moss. The females pack the moss tightly around the eggs, tamping them in. The nest box is removed after the eggs are layed so that the males do not eat the eggs (the females are allowed visitation rights, they seem to like to poke around in the nest and make sure their babies are doing okay). The eggs are left to incubate where they were layed. The nesting medium is checked every day or two to make sure it is just slightly damp. I am trying to get the same dampness as you would expect by overturning a spadefull of soil - not soggy! Otherwise, the eggs are disturbed as little as possible. Incubation temperatures fluctuate with the room temperature, generally between 25 and 30 degrees C.
Update Since many eggs incubated using the above method seem to be going bad, I purchased a Hovabator, which I will use to incubate the next several clutches and see if it works any better.
Late March or Early April, 1999. Chris lays a clutch of at least 7. Still in incubation.
May 4, 1999. Oz lays 5. Two went bad, Chris ate one,
others may be fine. In incubation.
June 21, 1999. Oz's clutch has obviously gone bad. The remaining eggs have been discarded.
June 21, 1999. Chris lays 8. In incubation.
June 29, 1999. Oz lays 8. In incubation.
August 4, 1999. Chris is in the process of laying a clutch as I write this. I saw at least three eggs, probably will be more by tonight. I witnessed courtship behavior between Chris and Hall on July 15, so there's a good chance these are fertile. This gives a time of about 24 days between egg laying and breeding behavior, and about 20 days from breeding to laying the next clutch.
August 18 to 20, 1999. Oz layed three eggs while I was on vacation. Only one seems viable, but it soon dried out.
September 14?, 1999. Chris lays a number of eggs, but all are eaten by Hall. In the future, I will separate these two when Chris becomes nearly due to lay. October 11, 1999. Oz lays 8 eggs. These are all being incubated in a Hovabator brand incubator, in vermiculite with water added to 100% of the weight of the vermiculite. Humidity is near 100%.
October 31, 1999. Chris gives me some Halloween treats! 7 perfect eggs! These are being incubated in the Hovabator, temperature is around 30 C.
Late November, 1999. Oz lays a clutch of around 6 just in time for Thanksgiving.
December 20, 1999. All previous clutches have gone bad by now. They seem fine for a few days, then get moldy and shrivel up. I am in something of a quandry as to how to incubate these things.
December 20,1999. Happy Holidays. Chris gives me her Christmas present: 11 eggs. These are also being incubated in the hovabator. This time, I covered the exposed parts of the eggs with moss so see if this will keep them from drying out.
January 6, 1999. Oz layes another clutch, the first of the year. Unfortunately, she did not lay them in her Hall proof nest box and Hall gets to the eggs before I can.
March 30 or 31, 2000. Chris lays a clutch of 8 eggs. As of May 31, 3 were still viable. All died several months later.
May 20 or 21, 2000. Chris lays a clutch of 12 eggs. Unfortunately, they were somewhat dried out when discovered. As of Aug. 29, three are still alive. One egg pipped on 12/31/00, and fully emerged on 1/01/01. A new baby for the new millenium. At hatching, mass was 45 g. A second pipped on 1/01/01 and emerged by 1/02/01. Hatching mass was 40 g. The third pipped on 1/02/01 and emerged later that day. Hatching mass was 40 g.
Aug 14 or 15, 2000. Chris lays a clutch of 9 eggs. All 9 candled as fertile on Aug 25. 7 remain viable on Jan 1, 2001. One hatched on Feb 1, 2001.
Sept 30, Oct 1, or Oct 2. Chris lays at least 7 eggs. Five were recovered intact, 2 were found after they had been eaten and their shells deficated. Unfortunately, I was out of town that weekend and by the time I found the eggs, they had gone bad. Prompt removal from the nest box seems to be vital for egg survival.
Jan 26, 2001. Chris lays another clutch. I recovered 8, Hall may have eaten more. Two seem fertle, the others obviously are not.