# Premature Gecko/ Opening and egg too "Early"



## mandy-_O (Dec 14, 2011)

I Have been patiently waiting for two crested gecko eggs to hatch since mid November ..... so that'd almost 180 days ! They've been incubated at around 23 degrees in a new exo terra incubator on a 2:1 most vermiculite substrate.

Toady one of my leopard geckos laid a batch of fertile eggs so i decided i would finally give up on this batch of cresties. I figured that as with any failed batches of my chicken eggs i should crack the egg to help me figure out what went wrong ...... And heart breakingly as i began to open this egg i was to find a perfectly formed miniature gecko that just wasnt quite ready ! After half and hour of trying to persuade this little one to breath it finally decided to start giving up so we've poped it into the freezer to put it out of it's misery. 

My questions to you is why would a crested eggs ever take this long to hatch ?! Is there any hope for it'd clutch mate that i've left in the incubator ??? And was there any chance for me to save the little one after i first cut into the egg????


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## Debbie1962 (Dec 5, 2008)

My guess is they took so long as your temps in the incubator are too low. Most reptile eggs incubate at around 84-86f. The hotter the temps the quicker the eggs take and vice versa the cooler the longer they take. It is possible that if you only cut the egg slightly it could have been saved. I would leave the other egg alone. Reptile eggs are not really the same as chicken eggs, if reptile eggs fail you can usually tell fairly straight away as the egg will deflate or go mouldy. If an egg keeps its colour and shape then it is usually still okay.

Its a shame this happened but its done now and hopefully you can learn from it.


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## seager (Jul 5, 2013)

I don't know anything about why the eggs took so long, but popping a live animal into the freezer is not 'putting it out of its misery', it's an extremely painful and inhumane way for a reptile to die.


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## GarethsGeckos (Oct 13, 2013)

That is a very long time for a cresty not to hatch. The temp is fine, we incubate at around 20C for about 100-110 days. Some people cook the eggs to make them hatch quicker, but we prefer to let them take their time and develope naturaly. Could you have saved it after cutting probably not by the sound of it. There could be a number of reasons why this happened too.
The freezer was not the most humane way to end its life though.


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## karma (Jul 12, 2007)

Firstly i no nothing about incubating crestie eggs as i only breed collared lizards.
What i can say is i have owned 3 of those incubators and i used to sware by them with 100% hatch rate most seasons,But and heres the but they tend not to give true temps so its always best using a seperate more accurate thermostat to check the temps and go by that.

I now use home made incubators but still have one of the fridge type sitting here(other 2 in the bin)and its fault is unstable temps it goes up and down like a yoyo(this packed in after 2 years old and so did the others)whereas i am now on my second season of homemade polybox incubators without any probs.

I also agree i wouldnt use the freezer


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## Sky7ine (Jan 30, 2012)

Debbie1962 said:


> My guess is they took so long as your temps in the incubator are too low. Most reptile eggs incubate at around 84-86f. The hotter the temps the quicker the eggs take and vice versa the cooler the longer they take. It is possible that if you only cut the egg slightly it could have been saved. I would leave the other egg alone. Reptile eggs are not really the same as chicken eggs, if reptile eggs fail you can usually tell fairly straight away as the egg will deflate or go mouldy. If an egg keeps its colour and shape then it is usually still okay.
> 
> Its a shame this happened but its done now and hopefully you can learn from it.


Those temps are way way to high for cresties that would just cook and kill them. High temps with cresties lead to smaller less developed babies. 

To the OP the temps you incubated at are perfect for cresties i incubate at 72f 22c and hatch times are normally 90 - 120 days the lower the temp for cresties the better it is. There could be a number of reason why the baby didn't make it. I don't agree with the freezing though.


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## Debbie1962 (Dec 5, 2008)

Sorry did not mean to suggest that those temps were wrong just that it would explain the length of time it takes for the eggs.

I have incubated crestie eggs at about 84 with no problems.


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## Sky7ine (Jan 30, 2012)

Debbie1962 said:


> Sorry did not mean to suggest that those temps were wrong just that it would explain the length of time it takes for the eggs.
> 
> I have incubated crestie eggs at about 84 with no problems.


Incubating at high temps with cresties makes them hatch earlier and are generally smaller with less defined crests and structure, 84f is far too high imo 

Lower temp and longer incubation is far better for them.


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## KDale (Jan 26, 2014)

what would you use as an alternative to the freeze


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## Debbie1962 (Dec 5, 2008)

KDale said:


> what would you use as an alternative to the freeze


A vet.


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## KDale (Jan 26, 2014)

but wont it have been dead by the time you could get it to a vet


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## karma (Jul 12, 2007)

You no some people will have a moan and have a go as its in there nature me i dont moan about the freezer method but i do belive its not the best way.

I ask myself this if i where in the middle of nowhere without the aid of a needle and fatal injection but needed to be put outta my misery asap to save my suffering how would i like it to be done.


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## herper147 (Feb 7, 2009)

Debbie1962 said:


> A vet.


Would you seriously take a dying premature crestie to the vet to be euthanised?


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## Jesterone (Sep 30, 2012)

herper147 said:


> Would you seriously take a dying premature crestie to the vet to be euthanised?


I'd knock it over the head. And I don't care how cruel anyone thinks it is. It's quick.


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## herper147 (Feb 7, 2009)

Jesterone said:


> I'd knock it over the head. And I don't care how cruel anyone thinks it is. It's quick.


Exactly what I was thinking but didnt really want to say:blush:


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## Debbie1962 (Dec 5, 2008)

herper147 said:


> Would you seriously take a dying premature crestie to the vet to be euthanised?


Why not?


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## KDale (Jan 26, 2014)

Debbie1962 said:


> Why not?


it would take to long the animal would be dead when you got there


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## Debbie1962 (Dec 5, 2008)

KDale said:


> it would take to look the animal would be dead when you got there


I am lucky as my vet is only 5 mins away. I couldnt freeze it or knock it on the head.


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## KDale (Jan 26, 2014)

Debbie1962 said:


> I am lucky as my vet is only 5 mins away. I couldnt freeze it or knock it on the head.


but not everyone has that option


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## Debbie1962 (Dec 5, 2008)

True, not sure what the answer is.


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## Jesterone (Sep 30, 2012)

Debbie1962 said:


> True, not sure what the answer is.


Knock it on the head. 

Lizard keepers are more squeamish than snake keepers, though lol.


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## Debbie1962 (Dec 5, 2008)

As I said thoughI couldnt do that. It applies to any animal not just reptiles, I could not do it to any of them.


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## KDale (Jan 26, 2014)

well that dose seem to be the best option available but one thing i learnt about that method is you have to do it really hard and do it properly the first time


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## PigeonYouDead (Aug 9, 2013)

Defo agree with a knock to the head. If I had to die, I'd want it to be instant, not being put in a freezer. That is absolutely awful!

My dad once had to remove a baby mouse from a trap which had gotten caught by it's tail. He dropped a brick on it. Not nice, but at least it wasn't suffering anymore.


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## GeckoloverKay (7 mo ago)

Is there anyway to save a baby like this? Can you try to put food in its mouth?


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## Shellsfeathers&fur (Jan 18, 2009)

2014 thread.


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