# Emergency!!! Leopard gecko umbilical cord still attached.



## geckograham (Jan 22, 2012)

So one of my leo eggs has just hatched, it's the one I've been waiting for all year and has been in the incubator for 74 days. She looks just like I was hoping she would but there is a major problem.

At first it looked like her back legs didn't work, then I realised her legs are fine, but her umbilical cord and egg sack are still firmly attached. There is vermiculite all over the egg sack and the cord looks pretty thick.

What do I do?


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## STReptiles (Feb 6, 2009)

Firstly put her in something with damp/wet tissue or kitchen paper.


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## Madhouse5 (Jun 6, 2011)

just found this might help 


Most hatchlings will have absorbed their external yolk sac when they hatch. Their bellies, though, are still full of yolk which sustains them until they are ready to eat. Some hatchlings are born with the yolk sac or the umbilical cord still attached. These should be placed in a clean and quiet environment where they will either absorb or discard the yolk sac and umbilical cord"


Paul


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## geckograham (Jan 22, 2012)

Thanks, got her in a rub sized wooden viv on kitchen roll, going to make a moist hide with wet kitchen roll now. Should I try to clean the vermiculite off the yolk sac?


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## STReptiles (Feb 6, 2009)

No leave it just dont put her on dry kitchen roll make sure its warm and wet

Put her in a rub with wet and warm tissue on the bottom as substrate all over the bottom and i wouldnt bother with a hide just place her somewhere out the way for a while


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## geckograham (Jan 22, 2012)

thanks, doing that now


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## Madhouse5 (Jun 6, 2011)

cool good i am sure he/she will be fine  good luck keep us posted


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## Mal (Jul 22, 2007)

Alarming as it looks its nothing to panic over. We put our hatchlings in small braeplast boxes to start with. Occasionally you do get hatchlings with a bit of egg and umbilicus attached. Keep it on damp kitchen roll for a couple of days. It looks horrible when you see the remnants hanging from their belly. Most of it will reabsorb and the rest will shrivel to nothing.


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## geckograham (Jan 22, 2012)

Thanks everyone, I had a bit of a moment when I saw it. I've hatched alot of leos but I've never seen this before. The gecko is now is some damp kitchen roll and every time I check she has moved so she's active enough.

One thing that worries me though, she hasn't screamed at or attacked me at all, that's usually the first thing they do!


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## geckograham (Jan 22, 2012)

Ok so I've checked on her this morning and the cord/sack has fallen off! She looks alright but still a bit quiet. it almost seems like she's hatched early but the egg took 74 days to hatch!


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## LovLight (Apr 14, 2012)

Aww bless her! I hope she is ok for you. Sounds like she is making progress in the right direction though. At a guess(no experience with this kind of thing) I would think that because she didn't absorb all her egg sac she may not have gained the full nutrients hence why she's a tad lethargic? I'm sure she will pick up after her first shed and meal. All the best with her and post a pic when she's fully up and running. 

Sent from my U8180 using Tapatalk 2


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## Mal (Jul 22, 2007)

She sounds fine, Im sure she will be ok. Keep her on the damp kitchen roll until everything is healed up on her belly. Dont be surprised if she looks like her tummy is sunken, it will soon fill out. On the odd occasion we have had hatchlings like this we have offered food early. Put the smallest of mini mealies in a dish from day 3. If you have anything like CCF it wont harm to put some in her water dish. It will give her a bit of energy to compensate for the yolk she has missed. In a couple of weeks she will be like any other little hatchling. She will soon make up for any missed nutrition.


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