Red Sky Geckos
Most current info on:
  • Home
  • Store (Available)
  • Care Sheets
  • GECKO INFO
    • New Caledonia/Crested Gecko
    • Correlophus Ciliatus or Crested Gecko
    • Rhacodactylus Auriculatus/Gargoyles
    • Mnairogekko Chahoua or Mossy Geckos
    • R. Leachianus
  • Show Schedule
  • Terms and Conditions of Sale
  • Shipping Information and Contact
  • About
  • Breeders and Projects
    • Past Projects
    • Gallery 1
    • Gallery 2
    • Gallery 3 >
      • Gallery 4
    • M. Chahoua Gallery
  • Care Blog and FAQ
  • Tail Loss
  • Biology and Breeding Blog
  • Isopods

Candling Eggs

8/10/2013

0 Comments

 
PictureEgg in front of the LED light on a slide out lighted 30x loupe.
What does candling mean? Candling is a term held over from the days when people used candles for light. Farmers often held a chicken egg in front of a candle to see if it was fertile. Today an LED light provides a simple way to accomplish the same thing with gecko eggs. The pictures in this article are of various crested gecko eggs in front of a small LED light on a slide-out lighted 30x loupe. 

Picture
This is an image of an infertile egg. The egg is thinner, oval and not as round as a fertile egg tends to be. It also has a thinner shell with less calcium. When candled all that can be seen is a clear yellow interior. 

Picture
This is a fertile egg. Note the red round dark area in the lower center of the egg. It has a red dot in the center as well. This is called the cheerio and sometimes just appears to be a single red ring. This egg is mottled on the exterior and the calcification is not even- dark blotches are on the exterior and do not have anything to do with fertility. 


Picture
This is the other side of the fertile egg above. The dark marks are again on the outside of the shell and you can see the darker area in the bottom center that is thinner than the surrounding shell. Despite the marks and uneven calcification this is still a healthy egg and will likely produce a healthy hatchling. You can't see the cheerio from this angle, so it is important to turn the egg so you see both sides when candling. Just remember which side was up in the nest box so you can incubate it that way.  

Picture





This is a perfectly calcified white egg with a very healthy cheerio inside. The cheerio is usually slightly left of the 'top' side of the egg if you forget to mark your eggs before you turn them. 

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Lorna @ RedSkyGeckos 

    Archives

    March 2017
    June 2014
    August 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed