Question about incubating

[ether]

G'day,

I am expecting my first cluth of coastal eggs ever, however it looks as though she might be laying while i am away up the coast for a week. Would it be possible to let her incubate them herself until i get back and ill move them into the incubator?

Cheers Alex

 

[TrueBlue]

yes.

 

[herptrader]

Yes but....

In the wild your female will seek out an ideal location to lay and look after her eggs. She wont have had that much of a choice in your enclosure.

So...

If you can adust the temperature of where she has them to about 30C and keep the humidity up. I provide damp sphagnum moss for them to lay on this holds the moisture really well, this supplimented with light mistings if the eggs seem to be drying out.

 

[Slateman]

Yes
Many times people have female on eggs and don't know about it till week later. Happend to me just 14 days ago. They are now in incubator and fine.

 

[TrueBlue]

as slatey said, not a problem, if the humidity is to low she will pee on and around them to increase it.
she will also work out where in the cage is the best spot temp wise.
Just make sure she has lots of layers of paper that she can get under to insulate herself but make sure there are a coulpe of layers on the floor that she cant get under so the eggs dont stick to the cage floor.

 

[GSXR_Boy]

Is it true she may lay them in her waterbowl?

 

[serpenttongue]

If she isnt provided with something better to lay her eggs in then it is possible that they will be deposited in her bowl.

Ether, give her an egglaying box and place it down the cool end. It's better that she lays them in a cool area and shivers to keep them warm rather than they be layed up the warm end and she not do any work. Laying down the cool end also decreases the chances of them accidentally overheating during summer.

It's also important that she lays them on a dry surface. Damp surfaces can kill the eggs at the bottom of the clutch, which then spread their death to the rest of the clutch. Create humidity (which i personally dont think is needed)by misting or having a second water bowl towards the heat - not by damp substrates.

 

[ether]

What should i use for an egglaying box, and what should go inside it?

Cheers for all the replys, you have put my mind at ease.

Regards Alex