Welcome Panpepato

This little fellow just gave me a heart attack.

Once every other week or so, I will candle my gecko eggs, because 1) I like to see that everything is growing and still alive and 2) I am interested to see exactly HOW the critters form inside the egg. I've gotten good at figuring out where the little paws and head and tail are in the dark.

(Note: "Candling" is not done with actual candles anymore - I use a heatless booklight LED with the light beam sized down with clay to a pinprick.)

So these guys are a couple days "overdue" from the time my other clutches took by a few days. So I take them into a dark room with the LED, hold up the first egg, and...

...I hear this horrible CRACK sound, and suddenly my fingers are covered in ooze.

When I candle, I hold the eggs gently cupped on the groove between my index and middle finger. So I wasn't squeezing the egg. This little bastard just decided RIGHT NOW WHILE GRANDMA IS HOLDING MY EGG was a great time to pip out.

I cautiously set the egg back into the laying medium, and within less than a minute he had fully emerged from the egg. Just, sloop! Slid out. That is an amazingly fast time - the others have all taken right around an hour from pip to emergence.

While I was gently swabbing the hatching material off, the hatchling gaped at me and squeaked a little (means "cut it the heck out, I got it, I'm an independent being!") - I just didn't want him swallowing the perlite.

Anyway, I chose an Italian dessert that sometimes includes pepper - because this little booger certainly has a peppery attitude!

His clutchmate has not yet hatched, but I hope it will within 24 hours!

More info on these critters is here: [link]

Please do not re-use my images; they are not stock, please respect that.