Bunlotl (1) – It starts with an egg

“I know it’s wrong, but I’ve experimented with DNA. In my tiny laboratory I’ve mixed and combined the DNA of many different animals, but my biggest success was with two of them. The DNA of a rabbit and an axolotl.
I’ve done it! A new species was born! I call it… the Bunlotl.”

 

It starts with an egg

It all starts with a tiny, soft egg, the consistency similar to that of frogspawn.
After a lot of research I have not only found the perfect way of incubating the eggs, but also perfected them. I’ve studied all of the steps and bundled them all in my research notes, which I am sharing with you now.

Incubation days: 20
Temperature: Room temperature, between 19 to 25 degrees Celsius.
Environment: dry soil or fresh water.

Observations on dry soil: The membrane of the egg dries and becomes as hard as glass. The liquid inside has a blue color, but the embryo remains white with some blue stains here and there. These presumably are the developing organs. The baby cracks the shell with the small gem that has formed on it’s forehead, and consumes the liquid left behind.

Observations in fresh water: The membrane of the egg remains soft, the liquid inside of the egg remains milky white in color, with blue stains here and there. These presumably are the developing organs. The baby breaks through the membrane with it’s mouth, eating the membrane that is left behind.

Observations on the development of the egg
The growth is pretty much the same on both dry soil as in fresh water. The measurements used are in mm.

Day 1	Egg: 40 mm. Embryo: 25 mm.	Day 11	Egg: 85 mm. Embryo: 66 mm.
Day 2	Egg: 48 mm. Embryo: 27 mm.	Day 12	Egg: 94 mm. Embryo: 78 mm.
Day 3	Egg: 50 mm. Embryo: 31 mm.	Dag 13	Egg: 104 mm. Embryo: 91 mm.
Day 4	Egg: 52 mm. Embryo: 33 mm.	Dag 14	Egg: 113 mm. Embryo: 103 mm.
Day 5	Egg: 55 mm. Embryo: 35 mm.	Day 15	Egg: 122 mm. Embryo: 113 mm.
Day 6	Egg: 59 mm. Embryo: 38 mm.	Day 16	Egg: 123 mm. Embryo: 116 mm.
Day 7	Egg: 63 mm. Embryo: 43 mm.	Day 17	Egg: 125 mm. Embryo: 117 mm.
Day 8	Egg: 67 mm. Embryo: 46 mm.	Day 18	Egg: 127 mm. Embryo: 118mm.
Day 9	Egg: 72 mm. Embryo: 49 mm.	Day 19	Egg: 128 mm. Embryo: 118 mm.
Day 10	Egg: 76 mm. Embryo: 53 mm.	Day 20	Egg: 131 mm. Embryo: 120 mm.

Starting at day 16 the growth of the embryo has decreased significantly. During these days you can really start to see the development of the embryo.

Observation highlights
The most significant changes are visible on day 7, 10 and 16, namely:

Day 7: The Bunlotl has a round shape, and with a magnifying glass and proper lighting you can see notches that will develop into the head, tail and feet.

Day 10: The Bunlotl is more bean-shaped now. The head is more developed and with proper lighting you can see the ears have started to develop. The tail has developed more, but is still folded on the body.

Day 16: The Bunlotl has really developed into an embryo, and the head and tiny ears, of which it has three on each side, are clearly visible. The feet are slightly more developed, and the arms are starting to take shape. The tail is no longer on top of the body, and creates the asymmetrical shape of the egg.