First Hatchlings! A question...

[frostyfriend]

Hi there,

Our first clutch of eggs is starting to hatch! It's really exciting, but all very new, as this is our first clutch. I checked the eggs when I got home from work, and much to my surprise, was missing a dragon! I saw a collapsed egg with no dragon next to it. I looked a little harder, and it turns out the little guy had made his way all of the way out of the egg and managed to halfway bury himself in the vermiculite.

Is that normal behavior for a hatchling? He started coming out of the egg late last night, and we saw his little nose this morning. From what my research and other breeders have told me, it's a good idea to leave the hatchlings in the incubator for at least 24-48 hours. I just want to make sure that he's ok.

Here's a picture:

Thanks!

 

[RioReptiles]

Oh don't worry, he is fine. One time I had a whole clutch hatch over night and when I counted the eggs and babies, one baby seemed to be missing. I carefully dug around in the vermiculite and I found the last baby who had aparently buried itself. The reason people leave the babies in the incubator for a couple days is because the babies want to hide and sleep a lot during that time. I put hatchlings in a small bin with a towel on the bottom and a place to hide, then put the bin on top of my baby racks to stay warm. When they start running around, I put them under a light and start offering live food. Most importantly, I offer water from a dropper every day, two or three times per day to keep them hydrated.