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Rescued eggs hatched/release time? |
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Mackytheforks
New Member Joined: 30 Jul 2012 Location: Wales Status: Offline Points: 5 |
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Posted: 30 Jul 2012 at 6:23pm |
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herpetologic2
Forum Coordinator Joined: 15 Jun 2004 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1511 |
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My advice is to keep them watered and once they have all hatched take them back to where they were found and release them into suitable habitat such as a rough grassland edge along a hedgerow or similar so they can make their own way into the world. So the answer is as soon as possible as they will be using up their yolk sac fast in a warm indoor environment and will lose condition etc
It was good to get them hatched out and rescue them it is fairer to let nature take its course. If you want to try and rear on the early hatches you could but this just means they will have more chance to escape.
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Mackytheforks
New Member Joined: 30 Jul 2012 Location: Wales Status: Offline Points: 5 |
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Thanks that sounds good to me.
The first one hatched on Friday evening and a couple a day since. I'm going to release all hatchlings tomorrow in work where they were found, and then wait a few days for the rest to hatch and release them. It's been fascinating watching and learning about them and even though the children are pestering me to keep one I shall be putting them ALL back. |
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herpetologic2
Forum Coordinator Joined: 15 Jun 2004 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1511 |
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I know the feeling it is hard not to keep them as they are lovely looking animals if you look on the underside you can see that ty are individual in their ventral markings you would also notice how bright the yellow and black collar is This is a defensive marking against bird predators It would be good to report the eggs into the record pool http://arguk.org/recording You should feel proud that you got these animals off to be released back into the wild well done!
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Robert V
Senior Member Joined: 06 Aug 2004 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1264 |
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Hi Macky, you have been lucky to have them hatch and such a good percentage. But before you release them get something substantially bigger than a milk bottle top (a shallow bowl for example) and fill with water and try and imbed in the soil covering the bottom. They will need a good drink and they may not all have located the small bottle top. Also, there's nothing wrong with allowing them to swim a while in a very shallow and tepid (just off of cool) bath of water (not so deep that they panic). This will get their bowels moving and they will eat once released.
You could have obtained some very small fish (tiny guppies are good) and placed them in the shallow bowl if you wanted to give them a meal before release.
I did this the year before last with a bunch of hatchlings, gave them a day to digest and set them free in a good wild spot. Nature will take it from there.
Hope it helps.
R
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RobV
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Mackytheforks
New Member Joined: 30 Jul 2012 Location: Wales Status: Offline Points: 5 |
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Thank you both for your help.
I released 8 this morning in a sheltered area near a large pond near where the eggs were disturbed. I've just got home from work to find three more hatched and two heads poking out. I had already changed the milk bottle top for a large coffee lid (well washed). They had a few dips in there and when they were wet was using there wet bodies to climb and escape from the tank. Luckily I never left them alone without the lid or I'd have lost them all. I will register the eggs for sure and may try giving these a feed before they leave. Thanks again. Macky. |
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AGILIS
Senior Member Joined: 27 Feb 2007 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1689 |
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Hi Rob where do you get your cheapo guppies from?? I thought they had gone out of fashion lol keith
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