Mark Walsh incubation method
From UroWiki
Who is Mark Walsh?
Mark Walsh is an uromastyx breeder, and his method has been acclaimed by Troy Jones, an experienced uromastyx keeper, and Danny Molco, co-author of Ornate Spiny-tail Lizards and Study of wild populations of Uromastyx, who has endorsed this method as being the most likely to succeed.
Substrate
The substrate is a 50/50 mix of perillite and the fine vermiculite. For the first two weeks, this should be in a 60/40 ratio, and then it should be allowed to dry to a 70/30 ratio. A good tip when getting the trays together is put them in the microwave for about 20 seconds, which will sterilise the substrate. Be sure to weigh your trays with a digital scale for accuracy.
Heating the eggs
After adding the eggs, cover the trays and leave one small hole (of approximately 3mm, or 0.125") for oxygen exchange. The eggs at should be around 33.8'C (93'F) for the first 30 days, raised to 34.4'C (94'F) for the bulk of the incubation time. When the hatching is expected to occur, the temperature is raised to 35'C (95'F). Mark Walsh currently uses a Helix incubator which uses forced air heating, which helps to keep the heat consistent through out the incubator. The humidity should be kept at 80%, which prevents the trays from drying out too fast and having to add water all the time. It is a good idea to weigh your trays once a week to track evaporation levels. With all of this maintained, your eggs should hatch in about 60 days.
See also
- Mating rituals
- Egg laying
- Egg incubation
- Mark Walsh incubation method
- Hatchling care
