A Baker's Dozen! 13 reasons to smile

[Flaviemys purvisi]

So back on October 18th just after 5pm I was blessed with a clutch of 14 Flaviemys purvisi eggs. At around day #30 I made the call to remove 1 of the eggs from the incubating clutch as it had partially collapsed and was decalcifying and turning an off white colour (like a brown chicken egg.) I cracked it open to reveal a rotten yolk with no signs of development visible at all meaning the egg was never fertile to begin with so I was left with 13 eggs in the clutch... an awkward thing for someone like me who's ridiculously OCD and superstitious. A week later, the egg positioned right next to the one I'd removed started to collapse.. it wasn't due to low humidity as none of the others were collapsing so I figured this one too had gone bad but I left it be as it was still a nice chalky white colour. As of 7pm last night (day 49 of 50) almost all of the eggs had cracked except the badly collapsed one. I was hoping for 10, maybe 12 hatchies from this clutch of 14.... I just got home from work and opened the incubator to find all 13 of the remaining 13 eggs have cracked open and a couple have hatched out. 13 out of 14 F. purvisi eggs hatching is a HUGE win for this critically endangered species. 2020 has been an absolute write-off for many reasons but it's sure ending on a positive for me.

These little tackers have no idea how important they are and how many sleepless nights they've given me over the last 50 nights. It's great when the hard work, effort and dedication pays off though. Here's a quick snap, there'll be plenty more to follow over the coming days. Enjoy!


Running right on time like a Swiss watch... 2020's F. Purvisi clutch hatching on day 50. 13/14 - (92.85%)

 

[hamishh34]

Congrats mate! Awesome effort and a solid end to an average 2020 indeed. Look forward to you flooding the post with photos.

 

[Flaviemys purvisi]

First 4 out having their 1st swim.

 

[dragonlover1]

That's brilliant mate, nice work. I can understand how stoked you are. I get excited about my hatchies but they aren't endangered like yours.

 

[Susannah]

They're so super cute! Congratulations! Well done!

 

[Flaviemys purvisi]

They're so super cute! Congratulations! Well done!

Yes indeed, ridiculously cute and far too big for their teeny shells, like all baby turtles. In the wild, this cryptic species, with magnificent golden plastral markings survival depends entirely on their ability to remain hidden from predators like eels, large fish and wading birds.
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Just one more little one to exit the incubator and join his/her siblings once his/her umbilicus is fully absorbed. They're looking so bright, alert and energetic.... swimming frantically. Hahaha wayyy too cute!

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Here comes lucky last... he/she won't be ready until tomorrow.

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Unfortunately #13 won't be joining his/her siblings as he/she just passed away within the last half an hour. It was still alive and fighting when I got home from work this arv but at half the size of the other 12 and the last one to hatch by a whole 24 hours, it failed to completely absorb its umbilicus... The runt of the clutch, it would never have survived in the wild and even under my care mother nature deemed it an inferior specimen and terminated it on me. It's a bitter pill to swallow but on the bright side there's 12 strong individuals left to carry on.

The little one that made it all the way to hatching, just to be taken away. Nature can be cruel but it know best.

 

[Pythonguy1]

So back on October 18th just after 5pm I was blessed with a clutch of 14 Flaviemys purvisi eggs. At around day #30 I made the call to remove 1 of the eggs from the incubating clutch as it had partially collapsed and was decalcifying and turning an off white colour (like a brown chicken egg.) I cracked it open to reveal a rotten yolk with no signs of development visible at all meaning the egg was never fertile to begin with so I was left with 13 eggs in the clutch... an awkward thing for someone like me who's ridiculously OCD and superstitious. A week later, the egg positioned right next to the one I'd removed started to collapse.. it wasn't due to low humidity as none of the others were collapsing so I figured this one too had gone bad but I left it be as it was still a nice chalky white colour. As of 7pm last night (day 49 of 50) almost all of the eggs had cracked except the badly collapsed one. I was hoping for 10, maybe 12 hatchies from this clutch of 14.... I just got home from work and opened the incubator to find all 13 of the remaining 13 eggs have cracked open and a couple have hatched out. 13 out of 14 F. purvisi eggs hatching is a HUGE win for this critically endangered species. 2020 has been an absolute write-off for many reasons but it's sure ending on a positive for me.

These little tackers have no idea how important they are and how many sleepless nights they've given me over the last 50 nights. It's great when the hard work, effort and dedication pays off though. Here's a quick snap, there'll be plenty more to follow over the coming days. Enjoy!


Running right on time like a Swiss watch... 2020's F. Purvisi clutch hatching on day 50. 13/14 - (92.85%)

Hey, congrats man. Always great to see some more purvisi clutches hatch ??

 

[shaun9628]

thats great..........do any of these gifts get returned to their native habitat....or is it to hard for them to survive in the wild....kudos for your dedication to this species.

 

[Flaviemys purvisi]

thats great..........do any of these gifts get returned to their native habitat....or is it to hard for them to survive in the wild....kudos for your dedication to this species.

No mate, my goal is to firmly establish them in the captive trade. Returning them to the wild would be a fool's errand given the state of their natural range.

 

[Susannah]

So sorry to hear that one of your little ones didn't make it. It's still an amazing success story and you should be very proud. Fingers crossed your 12 stay strong and go on to have lots more beautiful little babies!

 

[hamishh34]

Your beliefs in superstitions wont be going away anytime soon now! 12/14 is still a huge success so well done. Heartbreaking having one emerge and passing but like you said, nature knows better. Hard to imagine it half the size of the other already tiny turtles!

 

[Flaviemys purvisi]

Manning river hatchies, like Fitzroy river hatchies cluster together in a fixed clump. Pretty cool. Cute little buggers.

 

[Ajar5]

That's awesome! Gotta admire the survival tactics animals have from birth. Good work and congrats? it's great to see a private keeper doing their bit towards conservation out of the goodness of their heart. It makes me wonder what the government is doing to help the status of this species?

 

[Flaviemys purvisi]

It makes me wonder what the government is doing to help the status of this species?

The government is helping this species by introducing new law changes which makes it ILLEGAL for people like me to breed them as of 2022. Go figure. I know more about this species than anyone at the ARP or everyone in the NSW scientific community combined and have already captive bred more purvisi turtles than what all of them combined have ever laid eyes on but hey... can't have someone who doesn't need government/public grants or funding to accomplish "world firsts" stealing the spotlight... haha what a joke.
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Another survival tactic... camouflage by covering oneself with substrate. Hehe.

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12 days old now and smashing mozzie larvae and baby woodies every day. Nice strong healthy little ones. Couldn't be happier with them.




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12 little seventeen day old F. purvisi graduated today from rearing tub to aquarium life. This is where they really begin to shine and come into their own.
A few happy snaps of the youngins enjoying their new surroundings.

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The little ones are growing rapidly and dping nicely. They were a month old yesterday.