A New Terrarium for Pancake Tortoises: Design and Tips
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A few months ago, I encountered a surprising twist in my reptile breeding endeavors. The youngest pancake tortoise in my care, which I had confidently identified as a female during a routine examination with seasoned reptile vets, revealed itself to be male. This revelation was a surprise in itself, but an even greater astonishment awaited. Last Thursday, I made an exhilarating discovery: the first egg from my pancake tortoises.
Without a moment's delay, I commenced the artificial incubation of the egg. After gently extracting it from the terrarium, I placed it into an incubator with the hope that it would yield a female hatchling. I adjusted the temperature to the optimal range for the hatching of female progeny – between 31-33°C, and maintained until now the humidity at a steady 50-60%.
I chose a straightforward incubator model from Lucky Reptile, which had a variety of reviews, predominantly favorable. I nestled the egg in a plastic box with vermiculite, a substrate which, I later realized, should not have been moistened. Three days into the incubation process, I discovered my error. I had dampened the vermiculite, a misstep that was far from ideal for the egg.
I quickly corrected my mistake and replaced the damp vermiculite with fresh, dry one. I hope to have caught this oversight in time to avert any harm to the egg. Now, I can only await with hope that this correction will prove effective, and in several months, I may have the privilege of witnessing the emergence of a tiny pancake tortoise, beginning a new chapter of life in my guardianship.