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Budda
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Joined: 19 Mar 2006
Posts: 173
Location: Congleton (Vietcong) Cheshire
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 Posted: Sun Mar 26, 2006 1:57 pm Post subject: |
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Where do i purchase perlite from anyone?
I have read that you can do a 50/50 mix of vermiculite and perlite as an incubating medium. May give that one a try.
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Jackie
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Joined: 22 Jul 2004
Posts: 1382
Location: North East England
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| Posted: Sun Mar 26, 2006 8:36 pm Post subject: |
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You can get it from any garden centre or B&Q. 
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Best wishes, Jackie
3:4 Eublepharis macularius
1:0 Gekko gecko
3:4:1 R. auriculatus
1:3 R. ciliatus
1:1 R. chahoua
1:1 R. leachianus henkeli |
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Scott W
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Joined: 15 Apr 2004
Posts: 13355
Location: London, England.
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| Posted: Mon Mar 27, 2006 10:46 am Post subject: |
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| Jackie wrote: | Ok this is bit of a learning curve for me. To date I've had one auriculatus hatch. This is out of 9 fertile eggs. All 8 babies died as they were due to hatch (I have photos of a pair of dead babies but I won't post them as I don't want to upset anyone - they were absolutely perfect just not breathing). To say I was devastated was an understatement. I discussed this with a European breeder who has successfully hatched many aurics. Initially he had the same problem as me and found that incubation medium was the problem.
I was using vermiculite, which I've used for many years with different reptile eggs (including cresteds with a 100% hatch success rate), and it was made up in the same way. The breeder advised me to switch to perlite, which I did and the result was my first hatchling. He discovered that vermiculite absorbs too much water and when the babies were trying to hatch, they drowned (obviously it's an exhausting time for them).
I'm not counting my aurics until they have hatched (  ) so I'll wait for however long it takes, if one hatches I'll be chuffed to pieces. |
Jackie, please feel free to post photos, I don't want the CaptiveBred forums to be wrapped up in fluffy cotton wool and not connected to the real world 
I believe that eggs that fail full term are normally killed by too much moisture, when using vermiculite it is much easier to mess up the humidity / water volumes as the water soaks through it straight to the eggs. With Perlite it doesn't as the perlite doesn't soak up water. This makes it far more forgiving if you add too much water to the mix or top up during incubation. The surface of the perlite should be dry to the touch, the eggs instead rely on the ambient humidity in the air and not direct contact with water.
I have found the best mix so far is 2" of damp vermiculite with 2" of dry perlite over the top, with the eggs sitting on this.
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Please DO NOT pm orders for reptiles, send email instead scott@captivebred.co.uk |
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Jackie
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Joined: 22 Jul 2004
Posts: 1382
Location: North East England
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| Posted: Mon Mar 27, 2006 5:37 pm Post subject: |
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Sadly I learnt that the hard way Scott...  Like I said the vermiculite was made up in the same was as I use for Crested eggs. Perhaps, auric eggs are more absorbent and/or ciliatus ones more tolerant to wetter conditions.
Here's a couple fo photos of a clucth which didn't make it:
I'll try that mix you use with the next clutch - thanks for sharing.
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Best wishes, Jackie
3:4 Eublepharis macularius
1:0 Gekko gecko
3:4:1 R. auriculatus
1:3 R. ciliatus
1:1 R. chahoua
1:1 R. leachianus henkeli |
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Mememe
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Joined: 23 Dec 2005
Posts: 2141
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| Posted: Mon Mar 27, 2006 5:44 pm Post subject: |
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Auriculatus typically live lower down in the trees, and ciliatus slightly higher up.
Perhaps this difference in conditions have effected the structure of the eggs?
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Jackie
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Joined: 22 Jul 2004
Posts: 1382
Location: North East England
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| Posted: Mon Mar 27, 2006 6:11 pm Post subject: |
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I hear what you are saying, it certainly could contribute. However, both species do come down to lay.
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Best wishes, Jackie
3:4 Eublepharis macularius
1:0 Gekko gecko
3:4:1 R. auriculatus
1:3 R. ciliatus
1:1 R. chahoua
1:1 R. leachianus henkeli |
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Mememe
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Joined: 23 Dec 2005
Posts: 2141
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| Posted: Mon Mar 27, 2006 6:19 pm Post subject: |
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You can see I didn't think my theory through. 
Do either lay deeper than t'other?
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Jackie
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Joined: 22 Jul 2004
Posts: 1382
Location: North East England
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| Posted: Mon Mar 27, 2006 6:30 pm Post subject: |
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No more or less the same...lol.
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Best wishes, Jackie
3:4 Eublepharis macularius
1:0 Gekko gecko
3:4:1 R. auriculatus
1:3 R. ciliatus
1:1 R. chahoua
1:1 R. leachianus henkeli |
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Mememe
Site Moderator
Joined: 23 Dec 2005
Posts: 2141
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| Posted: Mon Mar 27, 2006 6:33 pm Post subject: |
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Damn it!
There must supposedly be some reason.
Do they live in different parts of New C.?
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Jackie
Site Moderator
Joined: 22 Jul 2004
Posts: 1382
Location: North East England
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| Posted: Mon Mar 27, 2006 6:41 pm Post subject: |
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Auriculatus and ciliatus are both found in the central and southern part of Grand Terre (New Caledonia). Ciliatus have been found on one of the neighbouring islands. Both the habitats are the same. The only difference being auriculatus are semi-arboreal, as you've said.
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Best wishes, Jackie
3:4 Eublepharis macularius
1:0 Gekko gecko
3:4:1 R. auriculatus
1:3 R. ciliatus
1:1 R. chahoua
1:1 R. leachianus henkeli |
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