Different temperatures - fluctuations and effects embryo development.

[Gaboon]

Hello,

Thought i would start a new thread for the above subjects. Hopefully this will be my final thread for sometime as everything seems to be slotting into place with my new pair.

I would like to know your thoughts on preciseness of temperatures, how necessary is it?

What are the best temperatures overall?

Is there a safe level of fluctuation?

How long do your eggs take to hatch, at what temperature and for what species?

Do fluctuations in temperature hinder or cease development?

Thanks

[Salzy]

A very precise temperature isn't absolutely necessary, since the eggs can do just fine with large fluctuations for a short period of time. Temps around 72-75 degrees are usually recommended by a good number of people. The Rhacodactylus book states

"The incubating container can be kept at fluctuating room temperature if it stays within a desirable range (70F to about 82F)..."

Higher temperatures seem to cause a developing gecko to hatch sooner, and they normally come out quite small and sometimes unhealthy. Longer incubation times are usually associated with cooler temps, and the young will emerge larger in general. Ideally, you want eggs to incubate somewhere around 70-75 days. Honestly, if I would love to get mine to stay incubating for 85-90 days, but they always hatch much sooner due to warmer temps.

[dcarter]

I incubate at room temps that flucuate between 65-73 in the early spring and 70-75 in the summer. I find my first clutches take longer to hatch, but are larger and grow quicker than my mid to late summer hatchlings. However, flucuating temps of 65-80 are normal though as Salzy said the lower the better. Hatch rates vary among rhacs so depending on what you are breeding incubation can be between 60-150 days, but remember lower temps extend incubation and will produce larger healthier hatchlings with better growth rates.

[Gaboon]

Cool cheers for the replies .

Mine are at about 73-74F at the moment in a heated polybox as my room has been very chilly at night. How long would you say till hatching? The species is gargoyle geckos. I got to ask

[dcarter]

I would say between 70-100 days quite a spread i know, but in cooler temps mine take closer to 90-100 days and when hot 60-70 days.

[Dragonflames81]

I"ve had take as long as 124-130 days when I kept them at 70 deg

[aschnell]

How long is it safe to keep eggs at certain temps before they die?

For example...
-2,5,24 hours at 45 degrees
-2,5,24 hours at 55 degrees
-2,5,24 hours at 85 degrees
-2,5,24 hours at 95 degrees

Any personal experience (whether exact or not) would be helpful.
Thanks

[dcarter]

I have never incubated in temps lower than 65-68 degrees or above 80 so I really don't know. I knwo people on here who have had power outages though and the eggs were fine.

[aschnell]

Originally Posted by dcarter

I have never incubated in temps lower than 65-68 degrees or above 80 so I really don't know. I knwo people on here who have had power outages though and the eggs were fine.

Thanks, anyone else have any thought?