Quote Originally Posted by fishboyUK View Post
They hardly provided perfect incubation conditions though did they

"The clutches left without maternal attendance were placed in boxes (50 × 50 × 20 cm)
filled with wood shavings. The eggs were placed in the middle of each box, close to the
surface, and were covered by a thin layer of shavings. Similar artificial incubators are used at
TOGANIM. However, the room we used was large and well ventilated, while local farmers
incubate the eggs in small and closed rooms. Despite the fact that the boxes we used were
watered once a week to keep the uppermost shavings damp, the humidity (not measured)
may have fallen below 100% at times."
It's my understanding that the artificial incubation methods used were similar to others used there.

"The clutches left without maternal attendance were placed in boxes (50 × 50 × 20 cm)
filled with wood shavings. The eggs were placed in the middle of each box, close to the
surface, and were covered by a thin layer of shavings. Similar artificial incubators are used at
TOGANIM. However, the room we used was large and well ventilated, while local farmers
incubate the eggs in small and closed rooms. Despite the fact that the boxes we used were
watered once a week to keep the uppermost shavings damp, the humidity (not measured)
may have fallen below 100% at times. The high ambient temperatures in Lomé were buffered
in the incubators in a similar way as occurs in natural nests inside the burrows of tortoises
(see below). The clutches were inspected several times a week and any eggs affected by
mould were removed. Eggs that died during development were dissected, and we recorded
the body mass and body length of the embryo and the residual egg mass."

While these methods differ a bit from what many use in artificial incubators here and now, I would say this African method was fairly efficient for the artificially incubated clutches.

The use of substrates that are better suited for holding humidity (that don't have to be watered weekly) probably do increase the odds of success in clutches artificially incubated here. Even with a better substrate, I'd still wager that the benefits of maternal incubation continue to outweigh those of artificial but I'm biased. I'd like to see a newer study carried out here in the US to compare maternally and artificially incubated clutches but I don't know of anyone who has enough gravid balls and willingness to do a proper study.