The eggs hatch!
On the 26th November 2007, 72 days after being laid, Shrek and Fiona's eggs started to hatch. I was at school, but Trish took this picture of the first sighting of three of the little one's emerging at one o'clock in the afternoon.
I was taken by surprise when I got home that afternoon. Although I knew it could take a long time, I must admit I was starting to give up and think they weren't going to hatch. It's difficult to predict when they will hatch - hatching can take as little as 50 days, or as many as 100!
On the 26th November 2007, 72 days after being laid, Shrek and Fiona's eggs started to hatch. I was at school, but Trish took this picture of the first sighting of three of the little one's emerging at one o'clock in the afternoon.
I was taken by surprise when I got home that afternoon. Although I knew it could take a long time, I must admit I was starting to give up and think they weren't going to hatch. It's difficult to predict when they will hatch - hatching can take as little as 50 days, or as many as 100!
Hatching
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Hatching is a slow strenous business, and 3 hours later this picture were taken showing the babies heads starting to emerge. There are clearly five eggs in this picture now starting to hatch with the tell tale signs of the eggs collapsing.
14 hours later, the next morning, five babies had fully hatched, and were lying quietly in the incubator where they will stay for about 12 hours until they have fully absorbed the yolk sac.
After 24 hours, when they started running around the incubator, I very carefully removed them and put them in a container to move to the incubator. It was then I found that I had seven little babies in all! The picture below shows them just after I got them out of the incubator.
The next evening I went to check the remaining eggs - and found another nine had hatched and were already running around! One unfortunately was deformed, with no back feet, but it was scampering around just as fast as all of the rest. I am going to keep this little one to make sure it gets a good home!
The following pictures show a couple of the babies in the new vivarium. They are a mixture of colours - some already showing hints of orange on them. They are a mischievious bunch - scrambing on top of one another. Great fun to watch!
The following pictures show a couple of the babies in the new vivarium. They are a mixture of colours - some already showing hints of orange on them. They are a mischievious bunch - scrambing on top of one another. Great fun to watch!
Beginning to eat
The babies didn't seem bothered with eating for the first 3 or 4 days, which is quite normal. But today they showed a lot of interest in a tub of crickets placed outside the vivarium, so I put a load in (dusted with calcium dust). All the babies got very excited!
It was fun to watch - their hunting techniques weren't too good at first, and some lunged for a cricket and missed, but they soon got the hang of it and were chomping away. One baby got a bit of a fright and ran away from a cricket which looked like it was chasing him, but he soon realised that was the wrong way round, and turned hunter! They all seemed to feed well.
The babies didn't seem bothered with eating for the first 3 or 4 days, which is quite normal. But today they showed a lot of interest in a tub of crickets placed outside the vivarium, so I put a load in (dusted with calcium dust). All the babies got very excited!
It was fun to watch - their hunting techniques weren't too good at first, and some lunged for a cricket and missed, but they soon got the hang of it and were chomping away. One baby got a bit of a fright and ran away from a cricket which looked like it was chasing him, but he soon realised that was the wrong way round, and turned hunter! They all seemed to feed well.
At this age they are very sociable, and like to sit in groups together. They climb all over each other. Some are darker, some lighter, some already with a greeny gold tinge. Apart from the one without back feet it isn't possible to tell them apart too well at this stage.
9th Dec
The babies are now coming up for two weeks old. They are eating crickets as well as kale and are definitely little eating and pooping machines! The colours are getting brighter!
Couldn't resist including this pic of Shrek and Fi (Fi's on top) showing that they are all ready for Christmas. Don't know what they expect to get in that stocking though!
The babies are now coming up for two weeks old. They are eating crickets as well as kale and are definitely little eating and pooping machines! The colours are getting brighter!
Couldn't resist including this pic of Shrek and Fi (Fi's on top) showing that they are all ready for Christmas. Don't know what they expect to get in that stocking though!
A couple of hours later I checked to find the little ones all over the incubator looking almost ready to be moved! I'll be putting them into their new vivariums later, and will post more pictures then!
Second Clutch
Christmas day 2008 and the hatching process started again with the second batch. Had my Nan over for Christmas and even she was fascinated to see the heads poking out of the eggs (though she wasn't so keen on the adults).
Christmas day 2008 and the hatching process started again with the second batch. Had my Nan over for Christmas and even she was fascinated to see the heads poking out of the eggs (though she wasn't so keen on the adults).
Articles
Introduction to Bearded Dragons
Bearded Dragons and Breeding
Why One is Enough
Feeding a Bearded Dragon
How to Set up a Vivarium
Tips for Controlling Temperature
Introduction to Bearded Dragons
Bearded Dragons and Breeding
Why One is Enough
Feeding a Bearded Dragon
How to Set up a Vivarium
Tips for Controlling Temperature
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