07/16/08

Started the first new lzard enclosure today. Added 8 hatchlings from WP (5 female: 3 male) to pen #7. This is about 10 days later than last year and points back to the cool, late spring we had. Spent the afternoon working on last minute tasks as LP like painting and taking down hose and extension cord. Added rock to the new top pens to hi-grade the habitat. Still have one more hibernarium to build, but haevn't finished the inserts yet so still have time. Don't really need the inserts until October when I come back for the fall field week.

07/17/08

This morning was hatchlings galore. Had five hatch overnight, which is the most this year. What's more they were from four different dams so the number of clutches hatching is ramping up. I'm down to the last three females in the ovipositorium and I don't think the remaining females in the lizard garden are going to produce more than a handful more (it's really late to be laying eggs). However, since it takes 45 days to hatch it means I'll likely be processing hatchlings until classes start in late August. That means I can't be more than 12 hours from the egg incubator from now on. So, for example, when I go for my 20th high school reunion in a few weeks I'll need to take eggs with me. It's more an inconvenience more than anything else and just requires some planning. For instance, I have to pack and ship the eggs overnight to myself next Monday in anticipation of flying on Tuesday. That way the eggs will arrive when I do. Last year when I shipped they all made it save one, which tipped over in the snap case en route and broke when it got squished between other vial. So one casualty out of two hundred is not bad. We'll see if I can get that rate down to zero this time.