Warning for Crestie breeders old and new.

[Sweetcorn]

I'm guessing this would really apply to anyone breeding any type of gecko and using incubation medium.

On Friday one of my cresties hatched in the middle of the night. When I took him out he appeared to be fine and was already half way through shedding as you can see here.



By the next evening his head had completely changed colour to this.



A member very kindly pm'd me to say she'd had a similar case which was down to the hatchling ingesting the incubating medium. So I went to check him more closely and noticed that he was less active when being held and not leaping about as is normally the case and his mouth was gaping open every couple of minutes. His stomach also looked much fuller than his clutchmate.

This morning, very sadly the little hatchling passed away. We decided tonight to open the hatchling up just to be sure.

This is what we found (Graphic pic so please do not click if you don't want to see)

http://img841.imageshack.us/img841/5395/crestiepm.jpg

It's quite clear that he has a belly full of vermiculite.

I wanted to post this just so people know what can happen. I know they can hatch at the most unexpected times either when we're asleep or out working for the day. But if you can please get your hatchlings out asap before they can ingest this stuff. Once eaten there is nothing you can do.

[freekygeeky]

I found one of my geckos, smudge with a mouth full of the stuff when she hatched, she was near enough choking on it. From then on we didnt let the geckos stay in the incubator. She was one of our last eggs to hatch anyway. Scary stuff.

But why the colour change?

R.I.P little one

[LFG]

I wonder if it would be possible to create a mesh bag full of vermiculite which could then sit inside the tub with the eggs positioned on top and nested into the mesh-covered vermiculite, so lying on top of and in contact with the vermiculite but without the possibility of hatchlings ingesting it.

Just a mesh layer on top might be enough.

[ReptileLady]

I'm so so sorry for your loss, that is absolutely tragic

Well done for investigating further though so that you could warn others.

[Omerov1986]

RIP im really sorry for your loss

[Sweetcorn]

Originally Posted by freekygeeky

I found one of my geckos, smudge with a mouth full of the stuff when she hatched, she was near enough choking on it. From then on we didnt let the geckos stay in the incubator. She was one of our last eggs to hatch anyway. Scary stuff.

But why the colour change?

R.I.P little one

I'm normally very vigilant when eggs are due to hatch and get them out and cleaned off straight away. This one was the middle of the night and a week earlier than expected.

I guess we should always expect the unexpected with these little ones.

I'm not too sure about the colour change. I have spoken to someone who thinks it could be for a couple of reasons. One being toxicity but thought it would have to be in higher quantities for it to manifest like this.

Originally Posted by LFG

I wonder if it would be possible to create a mesh bag full of vermiculite which could then sit inside the tub with the eggs positioned on top and nested into the mesh-covered vermiculite, so lying on top of and in contact with the vermiculite but without the possibility of hatchlings ingesting it.

Just a mesh layer on top might be enough.

My hubby suggested the same thing. Whether it would work or not I don't know.

Originally Posted by ReptileLady

I'm so so sorry for your loss, that is absolutely tragic

Well done for investigating further though so that you could warn others.

Thank you ReptileLady....it was difficult to do but my need to know was stronger and have to admit it was hubby that opened him for me to take the pics.

[SkinheadOi85]

Sorry for your loss and thank you for posting this as I would have never in a million years thought about any type of impaction (is that what it will be) in hatchlings.

Does anyone know of other hatchlings this has happened too?? Ive just had a few Corns hatch.

[Sweetcorn]

Originally Posted by Omerov1986

RIP im really sorry for your loss

Thank you Omerov.

[fatbloke]

dam sorry to here that rip lil dude

[Sweetcorn]

Originally Posted by SkinheadOi85

Sorry for your loss and thank you for posting this as I would have never in a million years thought about any type of impaction (is that what it will be) in hatchlings.

Does anyone know of other hatchlings this has happened too?? Ive just had a few Corns hatch.

Thanks and you're welcome. I hope no one gets in the same situation but if they do see similar symptoms at least they will know. Or even better avoid it to start with.

I'm not sure about snakes but I'm guessing because cresties shed very quickly after hatching and eat their shed that they are higher risk.