What would you say caused this? (Graphic content warning)

[SamsonizeMe]

These eggs were our first fertile specimens of the year and they had started to stink, so I cut them today. Word of warning, as in the title - the images below are not for those faint of heart.

Mom has been eating well, supplemented well (dustings of calcium and vitamins at every meal). Incubator is a Hovabator, using a GEO in a deli cup with perlite and water at recommended ratios.

Only known temperature fluctuations were intentional - turning the temperature up slowly from 82 to 88 over the course of two weeks; and had to take deli cup/GEO out of incubator momentarily to put in more eggs from mom.

No mold growth was observed on these eggs. Eggs were not removed from the incubator for candling or observation during incubation duration (other than aforementioned short interval of opening incubator and deli cup to place more fertile eggs into GEO).

Problems I have noted so far with these fetuses:

• Cranial deformity
• Bump on head (particularly in fetus 1)
• Loose skin (particularly in fetus 1)
• Very large fluid-filled throat sack (particularly in fetus 2)
• Lack of properly formed eyelids
• Back-bent forelegs (may be normal, not sure on this one)

Obviously, I can see why these two did not make it out of their eggs. My question is, is anyone familiar with what kind of problem/oversight/mistake could produce this set of consequences? Thanks in advance for any help and insight. I have three more (in all likelihood, five any minute now) eggs from this pairing still sitting in the incubator, that were not party to the full slow temperature raise from 82 to 88F. The next two went in at 85F, and the one after that has been at 88F the whole time. Mom is digging to lay more eggs right now.

Pictures:

Fetus 1

Fetus 2

Again, thanks in advance for any help or insight.

 

[acpart]

I know people do the slow temperature rise with no problems, but that could be it. It will be interesting to see how the later ones come out. The only other thing I can think of (especially if this persists) is that there's some genetic problem with the parents. A few years ago I had a kid bring me 2 eggs that were laid by his leopard gecko pair. I don't know how he was supplementing them but I got the eggs immediately and incubated them. Both geckos had multiple congenital anomalies and didn't survive more than a year. The story of one of them (who died a few months after the article was written) is here:

http://www.geckotime.com/sela-a-story-of-a-special-needs-gecko/

Aliza

 

[SamsonizeMe]

Enjoyed Sela's story... except for the last part. =[

Have some good news and some bad news to report. The next round of eggs have returned a result. One was dead and had the same problems as its predecessors - short skull, head bump (not as prominent), fluid neck sack (along the lines of fetus 1 above), lack of eyelids (but this one had developed irises). It seems to have been the closest to normal of the three.

On the other hand, one hatched today while I was at work. Everything about it seems okay except that it has a very underdeveloped right foreleg. The baby carries the foreleg under his chest. The egg was 3x normal size for about the last three days straight... I had already written it off. The baby already made a poo, so I am hoping he is indeed healthy aside from his leg. We already have one special needs gecko in our Nebula; she has pretty faulty enigma aim. So a baby who can only strike short-range should be no problem really.

I am hearing that BPA (a toxin ubiquitous in many plastics) in the egg tray could be to blame. Was wondering if anyone else might have some information.

 

[SamsonizeMe]

Here is a picture of the baby's arm. I know he looks pretty pathetic and somewhat - er - dead in this picture but he is okay. He didn't appreciate having the picture taken though he did sit still long enough for it. As you can see, all his other arms and digits are perfectly developed and quite long.

 

[notacoshells]

the eyes on the first two look so creepy.

 

[roger]

Does your perlite have any fertilizer in it? You sound like you are doing the right things.Its quite possible its in the gentics

 

[SamsonizeMe]

Does your perlite have any fertilizer in it? You sound like you are doing the right things.Its quite possible its in the gentics

I'm not entirely sure. I got the GEO from a fellow forum member, and I think the perlite was the batch that came with it. I would assume that the GEOs ship with non-enriched perlite. I'll have to ask her if she substituted the perlite. She has also had egg problems this season.

 

[gogeckos]

Here is a picture of the baby's arm. I know he looks pretty pathetic and somewhat - er - dead in this picture but he is okay. He didn't appreciate having the picture taken though he did sit still long enough for it. As you can see, all his other arms and digits are perfectly developed and quite long.

How's the baby doing?

 

[Venom Martini]

Keep us updated! I'm very interested in the idea the perlite could have had fertilizer in it.