Upside down egg

[satewola18]

While I was away for my holiday, i have left my dad with my leopard gecko eggs. Day before I came back one of them hatched. He then proceeded to to what i told him to do - take out other eggs, and slowly make the little gecko move to another container. When i got back today, I sadly noticed that the other egg that is due any time was placed back in the box upside down, and left like that roughly for 20 hours. Would it drown by now or will it be okay ?

 

[Olympus]

If they are hatching then no, I think the egg will be fine. If the egg is within a day or two of hatching then the embryo is essentially the entire inside of the egg, there's nothing left to be crushed under or drown in.

 

[satewola18]

update- the baby is dead

 

[DrCarrotTail]

I use big SIM containers and the babies that hatch have a tendency to try to dig under the unhatched ones and hide so lots are turned over. I turn them back as soon as I see it but sometimes it's a day or two. I haven't had any die from the turning but I guess it's a possibility. Sucks yours didn't make it. Good luck on the next ones!

 

[Olympus]

Did you cut open the egg, did it start to rot...?

 

[satewola18]

the egg went really soggy, so I did cut it open there was no movement from the baby at all, half open eyes, so i checked under head where there should be visible signs of breathing, but there was non, poked couple of times, nothing

 

[tb144050]

For the general public information: It is common for some (not necessarily all) eggs to start denting or "caving in" for several days before the baby hatches. So if you see an egg started to collapse, please do NOT cut it open. Leave it there until it begins to decay/mold. Trying to cut open an egg may: 1) injure the baby; 2) kill the baby because it is not developed enough to survive; 3) probably scare the baby to death (??); 4) countless other bad possibilities.

That is why Olympus asked "Did it start to rot?". If you are incubating, just leave it there until it hatches or it rots. You posted that you cut open the egg just "about 2 days" after the first egg. If they are clutchmates, they might still take several days for a second egg to hatch.

Sorry for your loss. :'(

 

[satewola18]

those are useful tips for the future, although would there not be any movement at all ? I mean if i scared it to death or it was not developed enough etc, there would be movement right ?

 

[tb144050]

When they are hatching, they move verrrrrrryyyy slowly. Before they hatch, I do not think they have the energy (or room) to move much at all. Once they finally get their nose OUT of the egg, they *seem* to get a lot more energy from breathing fresh air (and probably filling their lungs for the first time??).

But basically, will all my observations and all the eggs I have candled (even just 1 or 2 days before they hatched), I never see any sign of movement until they are hatching. If they move at all before hatching, I just haven't seen it. They either hatch naturally or the egg will decompose.

 

[WoWo]

I did the same mistake last year. Almost did this year too, since i saw a deflated egg with nothing outside. I just cut a bit and pushed on it.

Part of the head came out and it was breathing So i let it alone and few hours later it was out.. With whole egg sack attached.

Meaning MAYBE i shouldn't have opened. Or MAYBE i did well. I dunno if they're all like that at first, but this one got stuck fingers..?