Aliza
Breeding season for most geckos is in full swing and gecko forums are full of anxious questions about eggs and incubation: Is my moldy/dented/shriveled/green and gooey egg OK? Why haven’t I gotten any fertile eggs yet? When will my gecko ovulate/lay her eggs? When will my eggs hatch? Face it, we’re much more broody about those eggs than the geckos.
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There’s no substitute for experience and the advice of many experienced breeders. This article is an attempt to address some of the basic, and often recurring questions about eggs during the breeding season.
No Accidental Eggs
Ideally, the only “accidental” fertile egg-laying (some female geckos lay infertile eggs without benefit of a male) should occur when an already gravid gecko has been purchased unintentionally. Other instances, usually described as: “I never saw them mating”, “I only put them together for a little while”, “he got into her cage somehow” are either due to naiveté or carelessness. Geckos are programmed to breed and will usually do so given half a chance. If you don’t intend to breed, keep your male and female geckos apart.
If you do choose to breed, it goes without saying that you will have adequate experience with the gecko species you’ve chosen, a good understanding of the incubation needs for the species you’re breeding, the resources to provide appropriate incubation, food, housing and medical care for breeders and babies, males and females in good health of the appropriate age and weight, and the understanding that many of the easier species to breed are already being produced to excess which makes gecko breeding an unlikely profit-making venture.
Where are the Eggs?
Assuming that the criteria described above have been met, and the male has been successfully introduced to the female, the long wait for eggs begins. For most gecko species, the female will lay eggs at least 2 weeks after copulation. Eggs are usually visible in the gecko’s abdomen as laying time approaches and can be seen by gently bending the gecko back to look if you have a species that can be handled, and by trapping the gecko in a deli cup or against the side of the enclosure to view the abdomen for species that cannot be easily handled. There are a number of reasons for the failure of eggs to appear visually:
–the female wasn’t ovulating (google “gecko ovulation” to see leopard gecko ovulation)
–the male is infertile
–the female or male is too young to breed successfully
–the female or male is not in good health and consequently has reduced fertility
–the female needs more time with the male
–egg production is taking longer than usual for unknown reasons
Sometimes, when all factors appear to be favorable, the female turns out not to be a good egg producer. I had that experience in my first breeding season with a female “proven” breeder who, in the three seasons I attempted to breed her to otherwise successful males, produced a total of 3 hatchlings. I have also found in my own experience, that frequently females who produced an abundance of viable eggs in one season, do poorly in the subsequent season. If you have ruled out all the obvious husbandry issues and still no eggs have appeared, you may need to simply go with different breeders. I would advise giving the female up to 8 weeks after ovulation has been observed to produce eggs, especially if it’s the beginning of the breeding season.
These Eggs Don’t Look Right
Gecko eggs are round or oval (depending on the species) and initially somewhat soft, hardening within the first few days of being laid. Many eggs grow somewhat bigger during the incubation period and some sweat (produce small droplets of water that adhere to the outside of the shell) or dent soon before hatching. Depending on the species, incubation is carried out in an incubator, in the home at room temperature or in situ. Usually, but not always, if in egg is candled by shining a light behind it, the developing embryo can be seen, initially as a “bulls-eye” shaped red form.
Some gecko eggs are obviously infertile as soon as they’re laid. These eggs are usually extremely soft and floppy, often described as “water balloons”. Other infertile eggs may be flat with poorly formed shells or shriveled. Shriveled eggs usually are due to the eggs being laid in a section of the enclosure that doesn’t provide the proper humidity to maintain it, such as an egg laid in a leopard gecko’s dry hide. In many cases, this happens because the gecko is inexperienced at laying eggs in the proper place, or the gecko somehow senses that the egg is infertile and lays in an inappropriate place. In general, it’s advisable to incubate all eggs until it’s clear that they are no good (see below).
Gecko eggs can initially looking viable but then start looking “bad” at any point during the incubation period. Eggs that don’t look right are described as: moldy, shriveled, discolored, dented, smelly, leaking. This is the point where many egg-related questions come up. As long as the incubation temperature and humidity are correct, there’s nothing that can be done about eggs that “don’t look right” except to incubate them until they either hatch or stink. Assuming that the incubation conditions are correct, most eggs that initially looked good begin to look “bad” because the embryo or fetus dies during incubation. This can occur because of defects that make the fetus non-viable or for other unknown reasons. Some gecko species are more difficult to breed than others due to the eggs’ fragility or incomplete understanding of proper breeding conditions. Some species seem to have reduced fertility; I have consistently had an 85% hatch rate with my leopard geckos during the past 2 seasons, compared with a 50% hatch rate with my African fat tails.
New breeders frequently wonder what they can do to “save” eggs that begin to look bad. As long as the incubation conditions are correct, there is really nothing to do. The egg is viable, or it’s not; it will hatch or not. The best treatment for any egg is no treatment at all.
When Will the Eggs Hatch?
The hardest part about gecko breeding, in my opinion, is waiting for those eggs to hatch. There is a time range for gecko egg hatching based on species and incubation temperature, with eggs hatching sooner when incubated at higher temperatures. It’s important for a breeder to know the expected temperature range given the incubation conditions but also to be prepared for eggs that may hatch outside the range. This is really a case of letting “nature take its course” despite the often artificial conditions of egg containers and incubators. If the egg is meant to hatch, it will hatch; if not, it won’t. Try hard to refrain from handling, candling or otherwise disturbing the eggs. If an incubator is used with an airtight egg container, the container should be opened weekly for air exchange but there is no need to mess with the eggs. Eggs that look mildly “bad” should be left alone; more than one breeder has had a funky looking egg hatch out a beautiful baby. If it’s clear that the egg is no good, and it will be clearer with experience which eggs are no good, that egg should be removed.
Although there may be situations where an egg should be “pipped” (i.e. manually opened), in general it is not a good idea. Hatchlings that are not strong enough to emerge from the egg on their own will not become healthy adult geckos. Eggs that are pipped by impatient breeders can contain babies that are not yet ready to hatch even though the calendar says they should be.
One way to pass the time waiting for eggs to hatch is to keep careful and detailed records. In addition to providing valuable information for the current and future seasons, record-keeping can give you something to do related to the eggs without disturbing them. In addition to keeping clutch laying and hatching records, I record in my journal most nights how many weeks and days it’s been since the lay date for each egg. It’s much safer for the eggs when the breeder broods over facts and figures than what’s in the incubator.
In Conclusion
You should now realize that the best advice about successfully hatching gecko eggs can be boiled down to the following:
–know what you’re doing
–do it correctly
–hands off until the eggs either hatch or stink
(The rest is commentary)
Here’s to a healthy and successful breeding season to all those who choose to breed.
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Thank you Aliza for a great informative article. I think its a great idea to keep good notes as you can always go back to refer to them if you want to make changes or compare one breeding session to the next.
I have a crested gecko egg that I found a couple of weeks ago~ I noticed it was starting to turn a little darker… but I still have it with the rest of my eggs, I was checking it out tonight and I noticed a bunch of little whitish bugs (really little~ like mites) on it. I changed out the whole substrate that I had all of my eggs in and transfered them to new stuff. Do you have any idea what those were and if I did the right thing. I washed off the “what I think is bad” egg and I put it in its own container. I have seven other eggs that look just fine~ Please help 😉 thanks
I don’t know much about crested gecko eggs. What is your substrate and where are you incubating (I understand that crestie eggs can be incubated in situ or elsewhere in the house at room temp)? I guess it’s possible that if you have substrate like coco fiber and if the egg was buried there it’s possible that there are some naturally occuring bugs in the substrate that got on the eggs. My gargoyle laid an (infertile) egg which I had in the enclosure for awhile and I did find those small bugs on it. It sounds as if you did the right thing with it.
That covers all angles.. thanks
I’ve been a crested gecko breeder for 2 years, and I’ve seen a couple of eggs turn very dark and shriveled up, almost to the point of looking like they’re starting to rot, and surprise, surprise, a little cresty is born. I came very close to throwing the eggs away, but decided to leave them alone until they opened up or dried out completely, and I’m glad I did. One of those eggs was so shriveled up that it was obvious that it was bad and I manually opened it and a baby came right out. It looked healthy and started to eat within two days. So my recommendation to anyone breeding any species is, keep the right temp and humidity at all times and leave the eggs alone until babies are born or the eggs start to rot.
I have leapord geckos, we had no idea that one was male and the other female. Well one started laying eggs and at first they seemed ok, but the next day they were dented. Does this mean they are not viable? Did we do something wrong? Or is there anything that we can do?
Leopard gecko eggs, after they’re laid, can become dented for a number of reasons:
–the eggs aren’t fertile (first time female, infertile male or female, luck of the draw . . .)
–the eggs aren’t getting the right amount of humidity or heat: leopard gecko eggs need to be incubated at a steady temperature between about 80-88 degrees F (the temperature should not vary more than a degree or two) in a humid container. They are usually incubated in an incubator.
If your eggs were just left in the cage, they may not have had the proper humidity and/or tempearture. The general rule of thumb is to incubate the egg until it either stinks or hatches. Some eggs may dent initially but then plump out again.
I have two “house” geckos I picked up in an old building. I put them in a terrarium. One has been there for a year and the other for two months. I noticed today there is an egg under a piece of wood in the terrarium. When I was showing someone that egg, we discovered another one under a plant. So in your comments, I get the idea I should just leave them (eggs) alone and keep doing what I’m doing. How long does it take for an egg to hatch? Do I need to add some “nesting” materials? The first little guy has been a classroom pet and my plan is to take them back to school in a few weeks. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!
Most geckos either bury their eggs or glue them on some sort of surface. The real question is the extent to which the cage environment mimics the geckos’ habitat where they would normally lay their eggs in terms of temperature and humidity. For example, crested gecko and gargoyle gecko eggs usually incubate at about 70-75 degrees, which is summer room temperature in many locales. Many people incubate them in the cage or somewhere in their homes. By contrast, leopard gecko eggs generally incubate at 80-88 degrees. Most people use an incubator. I don’t know the optimal temperature for house gecko eggs. You could do some internet research to try and figure it out. You may need to remove the eggs since many geckos will eat their young if they encounter them. Another good place to get info is your local herp society which should be informed about the local geckos. Good luck.
Thanks Aliza, waiting for the hatch is indeed the hardest part. I have a clutch of 3 (2 Mom’s) all laid same day–anyway–tonight, had my first hatch of 2014! I worried over the eggs way too much especially in the last week. I appreciate your good advice about record keeping. It was recommended to me by Gulf coast Geckos to use Herper Pro software. I will check it out.
I candled way too much also, I adjusted temperatures–multiple things–I really need to get more breeding experience under my belt and leave well enough alone! LOL!
Congrats on your first hatch!
Please tell me the number of days it will take to hatch an egg
You need to be more specific. It depends on what kind of gecko egg you’re incubating and what your incubation temperature is. In general, if you phrase it more specifically, google will probably answer your question.
I live in Florida, these cute little geckos are all over the place. I found a new born on our. Dinning room cabinet. Not wanting it to die, I need to know how & what to feed it. Thank You
Not every lizard you see in Florida is a gecko. If it’s green or brown or out during the day, it’s an anole. The brownish bumpy ones out at night are house geckos or mediterranean geckos (same thing). In general, putting them in an enclosure and trying flightless fruit flies or pinhead crickets will probably do the job, but your best bet is to let it go where it will probably have a better chance of survival.
Every website I have searched will not tell me about how long it takes for a lepord getco to hatch in a incubator at the correct temperatures and humidity??? Someone PLEASE give me a estime !!! Is it 2 weeks or 2 months. I have no idea
Hi my fancy lepord gecko just had her eggs 12 hours ago I dint knit what to do they are crinkly but white I’ve put them in there container and moisture it. Put a few little holes om the top lid but one of the eggs stink what do I do its my first time
Hopefully you’ve put them in an incubator. Geckos laying eggs for the first time don’t always lay fertile eggs. If they get flat or stink, the egg is probably not fertile. You will probably get more eggs in 2 weeks.
I incubate at about 83 and my eggs generally hatch in about 7 weeks. If you incubate at a lower temperature it will take a bit longer (mine have taken up to 9 weeks at low temperatures). If you incubate at a higher temperature it will take less time. I don’t incubate at the higher temperatures but I would guess that at the highest temperature they may hatch in 4-5 weeks.
Hi,
How many eggs would a gargoyle gecko lay if they we’re paired once? I’d love to breed one day, but only if I have enough room for the babies. Most reptiles species I’ve read about seem to lay lots of eggs but a couple of the sites say gecko’s only lay eggs which doesn’t seem right?
Thanks
Most gecko species, gargoyles included, lay 2 eggs at a time. Geckos store sperm so they can lay multiple clutches with only one mating. I’d guess a minimum of 3 clutches of 2 eggs each. That said, I’ve been breeding gargoyles for about 3 years now and they have not been that prolific. I breed 2 females and generally get between 7-9 healthy hatchlings a year.
Am I supposed to remove the male from the habitat after the female lays her eggs will he do anything to them
We will be responding to this question in a Geckotime article which will run next week
HI! I just adopted a gecko from an animal shelter. Turns out there are two eggs in the little Tupperware with vermiculite. Now… I just got the gecko today, I don’t know how long those eggs have been there. Should I just leave them be for now? I do not know if all the transportation from some dude’s house (animals siezed by police) maybe damaged them. I barely know enough to start caring for a gecko, much less about their eggs!
Generally leopard gecko (is that what you have?) eggs need to be incubated at a steady temp somewhere between 80-88 with high humidity. Most people do this by putting the egg in a container with a moist substrate and putting that in an incubator. Some people have been successful if they have a place in their home where the temperature stays steady in that range. Some people have had success keeping the eggs buried in the substrate in the cage with the adults, though there’s always the chance that the eggs will hatch and become dinner for the parents. It’s likely that these eggs are no good anymore but it’s also likely that your gecko will lay eggs again in about 2 weeks. Do a google search for “breeding leopard geckos” to find out more.
Aliza
Hello.
I love your article and found it very informative.
We got a female leopard gecko a month ago and were told that she was mated with a male at the pet store but a couple of months before we got her, so that would be anywhere from 2-5 months ago.
She laid her first egg within a few weeks of us having her and after a makeshift incubator, it caved in and was moldy. It was very evident that it was no good.
Yesterday she laid another egg and I candles it and could see the red ring with a dot in the center of it.
My question is, how long can a female gecko lay fertile eggs if she hasn’t been with a male for a few months?
It could be as long as the whole breeding season and there’s even the possibility that it could carry into the next year but I haven’t seen any data about this.
My son tried breeding two crested geckos two years ago. His female had several clutches but none of them hatched. It’s been well over a year since her last clutch and she hasn’t breeded again.
Tonight we found two eggs beneath the crested gecko’s water dish.
These would be infertile, right? No possible way for them to be fertile? His gecko seems quite protective of the eggs right now, so we’re leaving them in the tank.
Any advice, please send. And thanks!
Although I haven’t seen any concrete data, there are some indications that female geckos can store sperm for multiple years. In addition, cresties, gargoyles and leaches have been known to lay fertile eggs even without benefit of a male (parthenogenetic). I had a bearded dragon that did this once. If the temperatures in the enclosure are fairly stable, leave the eggs where they are and there’s a good chance that in about 3 months you’ll have baby cresties (or not). You can also move the eggs to another location if you can provide high humidity and steady temperatures in the 70’s. Good luck.
Hi
I just found two supposed “house” Gecko eggs in our houses thread and silk box. What temperature do I heat them to? I’m at Hawaii. they are rather round and I don’t have an incubator. so I’m using the insides of a pillow it that OK?
Thanks from me
Your best bet is to google “house gecko breeding” and read some care sheets. Since these geckos survive in your climate in the wild, the eggs can probably be incubated in your home without an incubator (unless you have AC, in which case they would be better incubated outdoors). Use the articles you find on the web to figure out what kind of substrate (if any) to put them in.
Hi, I hope you can help advise me and I apologize now for the long read.
I’m an owner of several leopard geckos and have owned Leos for many years now and the upkeep and nutrition side of things Im well versed with.
I’m currently in my 3nd year of trying to breed successfully, some 10 years after owning my first pet leo gecko to be exact. My first attempt at breeding 3 years ago was a great success, but i feel it was a pure fluke……….I found my first ever egg had been laid and so incubated it in a homemade incubator that a friend lent to me. It was a plastic toy box with water at the bottom and a water heater, the box had air holes and a lid. Half way up the box It had a mesh across the middle acting as a shelf. The egg its self was in a small cricket type container that you would buy from the reptile store when buying crickets. What i did was half fill the container with permiculite, which was damp to the point it would clump together but not to wet where it would drip water. The lid of the smaller container housing the egg was slightly open to stop condensation dripping on the egg. The heat and humidity was generated by the water temperature. And it worked I hatch my first egg I ever had and i was over the moon. So there it started and I got the bug for breeding.
Now here’s my problem my second season was a terrible failed attempt and I’m now on my 3rd season (3rd year). I currently have 2 nice white Eggs, the first egg laid this season i did candle and it had a clearish glow to it and it had a red ring on one side, the second egg was laid 2 days later by the same female and had a yellowish glow to it and also had a red ring on one side…… Now as I said my 2nd season was a fail and the difference to the first successfully attemp with the homemade incubator is quite a biggy, remember I got the bug!! Well i went out and brought a purpose made incubator by “luck reptile”, the herp 2 incubator for £125, well it failed me!! Now before i used it on my second season I reviewed the incubator and found that it wasn’t good to trust its digital temperature display, and I was advised to place a second thermometer in the incubator where the eggs are to be sure i achieve the right temperature as the unit I brought wasnt accurate enought. I was also advised to place a container of water at the bottom of the incubator to help increase humidity.
So heres my current setup for my 3rd season attempt, here’s the details including what i feel i should be doing to hatch a successful batch. Please correct me if I’m wrong with any think….
I’m using the herp 2 lucky reptile incubator.
Placed an extra thermometer on same shelf as the eggs to get an accurate reading of 84f.
I have a container of water at the bottom of incubator for humidity control.
Humidity is sitting at 80-90%.
I’m using a cricket container with inch thick of permiculite, the container has air holes.
Permiculite is damp to the point it clumps but does fall apart and doesn’t drip when squashed.
Eggs are half buried.
And the lid of cricket container housing the eggs is slightly open at one end to stop condensation dripping on the eggs.
Does all this sound right to you? I setup the second failed season (last year) the same way as explained above. Do you no of this incubator? Is it any good?
The reason for this long message is the first of this seasons eggs (only a week old today) has started molding. A common question I know but I feel I’m doing everything right and now starting to dout myself and the specially made incubator I brought. Should I go back to a homemade incubator or not? Or am I doing everything wrong. Please help as I don’t want another failed attempt this year.
Thank you in advance for taking the time to read this. And i look forward to your reply.
Sorry you’re having problems with breeding. It would be helpful to know more about your “failed” second season: how many eggs were laid by how many females? Were they infertile or did they “go bad”? How far into the incubation?
I looked up the “lucky reptile herp II incubator” and as far as I can see it’s a mini fridge type which has been successful for many people, including me, in the past. You do have to keep track of the actual temperature, as you’re doing, since I find that some of these incubator types don’t always switch on the cooling/heating so promptly if the ambient temperature changes drastically. The only quibble I have with your incubation technique is that usually people keep the lid (without air holes) on the egg container all the way and open it briefly every week or so for air exchange. I’m assuming that “permiculite” is similar to our “vermiculite” (looks like tiny gold bricks) as opposed to “perlite” (small white pieces of material). The containers I used to use for eggs were about 6″x4″x2″ deep (sorry, you’ll have to do the metric conversion) and I never had trouble with condensation. Is it possible that your containers are too shallow?
With those few tweaks of your incubation, the question now is about the geckos. I have had females lay fertile eggs one year and either not lay, or not lay eggs that went anywhere (even though they candled fertile) the next year. I’m not saying that this is the problem, but it needs to be taken into consideration. Sorry nothing specific that would explain everything comes through. I hope you have better luck this season.
Thanks for your reply. Your right virmiculite is what I’m using not permiculite. My container size is 7″x4″x3″ deep, they are what I buy crickets or mealworms in from the store and seem ideal as egg boxes, but they have lots of tiny air holes in the sides plus im keeping the lid open slightly which I’m thinking is a bad move.
So the current look of the eggs i explained , there glow and red rings are good signs? They are not to dented either, but one as I said has started molding.
As for the second failed season I left the eggs to run there course before I ditch them just incase, but one just went moldy with dents but started off a nice white egg and the second egg went very deflated and hard and yellow but was fairly yellow when laid. All my eggs each year have been from same female. She’s only 6 years old and he’s slightly younger.
So you would advise me to Change my container to one with no holes, similar size to what I’m using already or your dimensions. But i must seal the lid properly so its air tight and just open once a week to give fresh air. And control the temp as I already am?
Should I get rid of the water at the bottom of the incubator or not? I cant see the point in keeping it if I’m sealing the container the eggs are in, Id imagine i just need to control the temperature as I assume the moister in the egg box Wil be plenty for the course of the incubation period, is that right?
With a sealed egg container (with no air holes) I never have to add water to them. I use plastic bags filled with water at the bottom of the incubator. It’s purpose is not to maintain the humidity but to help stabilize the temp (I understood why that worked at some point, but don’t remember anymore). See what happens if you make those changes. As I said, it could be due to your female. I’ve had females who laid eggs that candled fertile but never went anywhere.
OK well I’ve done them changes, and I shall keep the water at the bottom of the incubator. I will report back here and let you no how I get .
So as far as the moldy egg goes what do you think it’s fate should be? Keep or ditch?, it is only light mold so I’ve lightly wiped it with a cotton tip just now. But should get rid of it incase of contamination to the second egg.
Thanks for all your help I really appreciate it. Fingers are crossed!!!
Hi, I have 2 eggs laid 2 days ago, caught her in the act. When I candled them today they are completely yellow with no red inside. Should the red “bulls eye” show immediately or only after a few days? Eggs are white, not dented and not too soft or too hard. They are stuck together though but I am not pulling them apart. This is her second batch for the season. First 2 eggs had the red but I only found them a few days after she laid them.
NOrmally you see the bulls eye right away, but I have had eggs hatch where I couldn’t see the bulls eye at first (and have also had eggs where I did see the bulls eye not develop anymore and not hatch) so incubate them until they either hatch or stink.
What happens if you sake the gecko eggs will the still hatch
It depends on a lot of things: how much did you shake them, what stage of development were the eggs in, whether they would have hatched anyway or not. Obviously, no one shakes the eggs on purpose, but if it happens, just put them back the way they’re supposed to be and hope for the best. The eggs are usually pretty strong.
I have a female leapord gecko and it looks like she has eggs in her but its been like that for 3 weeks now should i worrie about it shes eating and drinking and goes in and out of the nesting box but doaent do qnything
Three weeks isn’t unusual. Also, sometimes what you’re really seeing is fat pads and not eggs at all.
Hi Aliza,
I have just found some eggs inside the frame of my cat flap. I live in Australia and we have geckos around the house. Obviously, I don’t know how long they have been there and I don’t feel great letting them hatch (potentially) into my cat enclosure. I’m not a breeder – obviously – but what basics can I do with these eggs now. Somewhere warm? dark? and then leave them to it?
If they are glued on to the surface (some geckos glue their eggs) you won’t be able to move them. In that case (or if you don’t want to deal with moveable eggs) you can tape a small plastic cup over the eggs. Keep watch and when the babies hatch, they’ll hatch into the cup. Then you can slide something under the cup and transport them outside. If you can move the eggs, try to put them in a place that’s safe from animals in the same climate as where they were laid. You may be able to put them into a deli cup with some grass around them. Just try to maintain the same conditions. When they hatch, open the cup and let them go. Hatchling reptiles don’t need parent care and are ready to go on their own.
Thanks Aliza,
They weren’t glued and fell out around the place as I unscrewed the frame of the cat flap. I currently have them in a small fruit puree cup on the widow-sill as this is the closest approximation I could figure out at short notice. I’m struggling work out a safe place that is going to be warm, dark and dry, like where they were.
What is a deli cup?
It sounds as if you’re doing everything you can do.
Deli cup: sorry for the dialect. It’s a clear plastic cup that has a tightly fitting lid that is usually used as a container for salads that one buys at a delicatessen (is that a word familiar to Australians?). Due to the size, clear material and tight fitting lid, people have started punching small holes in them (or buying them pre-punched) and using them to transport or display (at a sales show) reptiles.
I have a Leo who laid two infertile eggs two days ago. She’s a full adult and I’ve had her 5 months I just want to know how long to wait until I can breed her I don’t know her weight I just know she’s pretty damn fat
If she’s laying infertile eggs then she’s ovulating and if she’s bred she has a chance of laying fertile eggs. Here are some other things to think about when you consider breeding:
–do you know the genetic background of this gecko and the male? If not, the geckos you produce will be hard to sell to many of the prime buyers
–do you have an incubator and, if not, are you prepared to make or buy one?
–do you have the space and finances to house hatchlings and get medical attention for anyone who needs it?
Good luck with your plans!
I have one egg that was laid yesterday. Can someone tell me if its good or not so I don’t waste my time?
We definitely can’t tell you if it’s good or not without a picture. If it feels like a water balloon, i.e. very wobbly and wet, it’s probably infertile. However, some eggs that look fertile don’t work out. If you’re talking about most geckos, there will probably be more eggs in 2 weeks, so you may as well incubate this one and be prepared for the next clutch.
Hi Aliza,
I just popped back to say that – amazingly – one of my gecko eggs hatched. These were the ones I found in the cat flap, had no idea how long they had been there or if they were okay. I had given up checking on the eggs each day and tonight noticed, just by chance, the small body in the container. Two more eggs left and they are not in a better container – just in case!!
I have my incubator at 90°F with 50% humidity and circulating air is this okay? It’s my first time and I would like a second opinion.
90 is pretty high for leopard gecko eggs if that’s what you’re incubating. I wouldn’t go higher than 88. The humidity inside the egg box is the most important and I believe that should be at least 80%. That’s usually achieved by having a moist substrate and keeping the box closed without air holes (open the box once a week briefly for air exchange). Some people feel the circulating air can dry things out. As long as you can maintain a higher humidity, I don’t think it matters either way.
Our preschool leopard gecko has laid and successfully hatched several babies the last three years. Preschoolers who help me take care of the geckos during the school year get first dibs on the geckos and any leftovers are sold to help purchase classroom gecko supplies. This year she has laid 3 “bad” eggs. She was an adult rescue 7 or 8 years ago, so I’m not sure of her age. Just wondering if geckos reach a point where they are no longer fertile and around what year this would be. We have very excited and curious preschoolers waiting for their clutch of eggs to be laid and placed in the incubator where they can watch the eggs grow. Thank you.
Leopard geckos definitely reach a point where they either stop laying or the eggs are no good. She sounds as if she’s getting older so this isn’t surprising.
My eggs are being incubated at 79 degrees and I was wondering how long it would take them to hatch at this rate. Thanks!
What species of eggs are you incubating? My leopard gecko eggs are incubating at 81/82 and hatching at about 8 weeks, so it will probably be a bit longer. 79 is a somewhat marginal temperature and could be a bit low. On the other hand, my gargoyle eggs are incubating at 75 and will hatch in 11-13 weeks. When I incubate the garg eggs at 82, they hatch in about 8 weeks.
How Do I Get Gecko Eggs ?
I’m not sure what you mean, but the usual way is to put a male and a female gecko together.
I need some advice. My crestie laid an egg not sure how long ago but I candled it and it looks to have something inside. Problem is it looks to be two pinkish vain blobs connected by one little vain. To me that doesn’t seem quite correct. The egg itself is white and does have two small dents from when I first found it. I have been incubating it for a week now and haven’t seen a change. Is this normal? Or is it an egg that is somehow looking to be fine on the outside but is dead within?
I don’t breed cresties, but I do breed gargoyles among other species. There are several possibilities:
–it’s continuing to develop and has moved on from the original bulls-eye
–it’s stopped developing and will eventually shrivel up
–it’s twins
I’ve had the first two things happen to me. There’s really nothing for it but to just leave it alone and incubate till it either hatches or stinks. I’ve even recently had yucky looking eggs hatch out healthy geckos.
My crested gecko just laid two eggs! First thing, I thought it was a male. Also, there is no other gecko around. I researched a little and read that geckos can lay unfertilized eggs… Now, what will happen to those eggs? What should I do with them? My husband said this is the second time it had laid eggs, but the first two dissappeared after a few weeks. Should I just leave them there or remove them from the tank?
Some geckos do lay eggs without benefit of a male. Nearly all the time, these eggs are infertile and will not hatch. However, in rare cases, cresties have laid eggs that have actually hatched, so it’s felt that even though crested geckos usually reproduce by male/female mating and egg-laying, in certain circumstances, it’s possible for crested geckos to be parthenogenetic. Usually crested gecko eggs are incubated in a sealed, moist container at room temperatures. To find out more, google “crested gecko breeding”. You can try to incubate the eggs if you want, to see if something will hatch, though it’s unusual. Otherwise, just dispose of the eggs.
Our gargoyle female laid 2 eggs. She has never been in contact with a male- although we do have a male in proximity. We are assuming they are not fertile. I was wondering if you ever heard of a gargoyle gecko self fertilizing?
Actually I have. It’s not common, and you shouldn’t expect too much, but they’re worth incubating (keep in moist substrate at room temp –it may take up to 13 weeks) to see what happens. You can try candling them by shining a flashlight through them. The fertile ones have a red bull’s eye on one side.
I live in Alexandria VA, and have recently had a problem with Mediterranean Geckos (according to the City of Alexandria – light yellow/tannish with black spots) coming into my house. I didn’t know we had them in Alexandria, much less in homes. I don’t know how they’re getting in. I do not have insects or food/dirty dishes. I’ve caught 6 (2 in utility room 3 in bathroom all on 1st floor). I thought they were gone after the 1st 5, but today got another. Guess the egg incubation period is up. Can you give me a suggestion where to look for the eggs? Most of what I’ve had range from babies (1.5″long) to a little older maybe 4″ long. I’d appreciate any help you can give me.
There is information from the Virginia Herp Society about the Mediterranean gecko (H. turcicus) in VA: http://www.virginiaherpetologicalsociety.com/reptiles/lizards/mediterranean-gecko/Mediterranean%20Gecko.pdf
The information I read indicated that this gecko tends to lay eggs “under bark, in crevices, or in moist soil,” and that females may share nesting sites. The eggs may be laid in your home, or may be laid outside near your home. They have most likely been buried, so they will be hard to find. The good news is that breeding season is almost over, so there should be fewer geckos around in the fall and winter. They do have their beneficial aspect because they eat bugs,so if you can tolerate them, they’re worth keeping around.
Im new to leopard geckos but my husband has had them growing up. We have 2 female that keep laying eggs. I have been trying to hatch them with no luck! It is my first females 4th clutch and my other females second clutch. The eggs keep getting moldy and sink in. Ive kept them all until they have gotten completely flat. I dont know what im doing wrong. Ive even switched incubators because i didnt think it was working right. I just found two eggs on Saturday and they looked great. But today i noticed a thin layer of mold growing. I just found a second clutch from my other female and want to make sure these dont mold too. Please Help!
I’m assuming you have a male leopard gecko as well (if you don’t, then that’s the problem). In order to make sure you’re doing everything right, you should probably google “leopard gecko breeding” and read some info to see how that lines up. It would be helpful to know also what kind of incubator(s) you have. That said, some first time leopard gecko breeders don’t lay fertile eggs, some of them never do (I’ve had females that I’ve tried with for 3 seasons and finally given up) and on occasion the male is infertile.
I had one smaller crested gecko egg hatch 8 days ago but the larger egg has yet to hatch. Should I just continue to wait? The egg is in good shape
No guarantees, but its worth waiting. I have, though, had eggs look great for many weeks and eventually mold. My general advice is incubate until it hatches or stinks.
What other than coco fiber can i put in the egg laying site?
I think coco fiber is best, but you could presumably also use perlite, vermiculite (I have had geckos eat this stuff, though) or possibly this new substrate called “Lugarti natural reptile bedding” though I haven’t used it personally. You could try sphagnum moss, though I worry about geckos eating it. Any reason you don’t want house coco fiber?
My son’s 10 month old female leopard gecko laid her first egg two nights ago. She clawed around her tank and seemed to be trying to lay a second egg for a while but still hasn’t. It looks like there is still an egg inside of her. She ate a ton last night and again this morning but isn’t acting like herself. Is it possible for a clutch to spread out over a few days or should she have laid the second egg by now? What do we do?
Occasionally there is a day between laying, but it’s not that common. It’s also not that uncommon for a gecko new to laying to lay only a single egg. If you’re convinced she has another egg inside and she’s not laying, I would definitely recommend a reptile vet. If the egg you think you see inside is small, pink and round (as opposed to large oval and white) it’s probably the next clutch of eggs developing. You can find a reptile vet near you here: arav.org
I have had geckos for several years and only just started breeding them. Our females are doing very well! One of our females however, has had visible eggs in her for over two weeks now. She is eating and I’ve seen her drinking and she has still be voiding in her tank. Is it because it is her first that she is taking longer? She is well fed, and we supplement vitamin powder with her food. She sheds regularly and has an under the tank heater. She is well taken care of! (Because we love our geckos!)
Sometimes it does take longer than you’d expect and sometimes what looks like eggs is really fat pads (it’s happened with me and I’ve been breeding for 12 years). As long as the gecko is active and eating, she’s probably OK and you just have to play the waiting game. Good luck with your season.
@ Aliza,
Thank you so much for your response. Last night I decided to cover the Eggeling box a little more, so she felt safer. I also made sure to set it on top of the under the tank heater. By this morning she had laid two beautiful, viable eggs. She is doing great and I fed her a ton this morning along with calcium and vitamin supplements. Thank you!!
I have a male and female in my 7th grade life science class. She laid a clutch while I was absent for several days. I’m unsure of when she laid them in her dry area. But my question is…is there a possibility of the eggs still making it if they haven’t been at the right humidity for several days? My students are so excited and I hate to make them wait 45-60 days if there is no chance of the eggs making it. I’ve never hatched eggs, but I know what I need to buy now. I have an incubator but do not have the right substrate (vermiculite) yet for the box that needs to go inside it. Thanks so much!
It could go either way. Leopard (I assume, leopard, right?) gecko eggs are so hardy that I’ve actually heard stories of someone tossing an egg they thought wasn’t viable in the garbage, only to find a hatchling in there soon after! My incubator accidentally got shut down for about 12 hours last April and everything hatched. Even if you’d gotten them into the incubator right away, all eggs, especially eggs from a first-timer, aren’t fertile. This could be a good lesson for your class about the realities of reproduction. You do realize, I hope, that there’s a good chance you’re going to get another pair of eggs is a few weeks? Please be sure to read my article about my experience with incubators here: http://geckotime.com/a-tale-of-three-incubators/ and learn what you can about best incubator practices. Good luck!
Thanks for your quick response. Yes, they are leopards. I got them from someone and the female went through a season of breeding and eggs already but the other owner did not try to hatch them. I think that was the females first season. I’ve had them in my possession since the summer and this is her first time laying this breeding season. But yes, I will be ready for sure in a few weeks and hopefully these will make it too. It’s good to know that they are a hardy species.
Thanks again,
Candice
I don’t have perlight or coconut stuff. I only have moss. Would I be able to put into the Moss in the container with the eggs?
The question is whether the moss will hold the moisture like the perlite without making them too wet. I recommend you start with the moss if you have eggs now and then go to a garden store and get some perlite. Unless you live in another country (I’m in the US), perlite is cheap and easy to come by.
Hi Aliza, my leopard gecko has stop eat about 2 months+, 2 weeks ago she laid the first 2 infertile eggs in the moss box (this is the first time she laid eggs), these eggs look extremely soft, flat and floppy, now she lay another 2 outside the moss box which is on her container floor, this time the eggs shells is hard but look a bit formed shells. My questions are without eating for few months is that OK for her? Laying eggs on the hard floor for about 24hrs will the eggs had any chance to hatch? My room temperature is about 80F and humidity about 55-60%. Thanks
It’s not unusual for leopard geckos to stop eating when they ovulate, and in some cases, they’re still not eating when they lay the eggs. Usually they get hungry after laying. You could encourage yours to eat by holding her and gently poking a feeder in her mouth. Try this for a little while every day and keep offering her food for her to catch by herself as well.
Often if eggs are laid outside the lay box they are not fertile. You can shine a light behind the eggs to see if there is a round red “bulls eye” shape which would mean that the egg is fertile. If it is, it may hatch even though it was laid outside the box. It may still not be fertile. The general rule is to incubate until the egg either hatches or stinks.
I’ve kept geckos for years and have recently got a breeding pair of pictus geckos. I’ve never had this breed before and I’ve never bred geckos before but I am wanting to with this pair, is there any advice you can give me for breeding/incubating them? Both are about a year old and are both healthy. I’d love to breed but I’m anxious to make sure that I’m doing it as best I can! Thanks for any advice!!
I haven’t bred pictus geckos, though I did get some eggs from Matt (owner of Gecko Time site) before he moved away and two of them were pictus geckos. If I recall correctly, the eggs are somewhat delicate and laid in the sand. Matt, I believe, would remove them with a plastic spoon and put them in the incubator on damp sand in a deli cup. Essentially you need an incubator which I would guess you could run at somewhere between 82-88. I have been told that pictus geckos breed very prolifically and this can significantly shorten the female’s lifespan, but as I said, I don’t have first hand experience. To be more sure that you’re “getting it right”, I recommend you look online for pictus gecko breeders selling their geckos and then contact them for details.
Okay help my female gargoyle a two eggs I have a male and a female together um I don’t have any hatch right I don’t have any vermiculite should I keep them in the soil that they were born in or should I take them out and take some of that soil and put them in a container please help ASAP
Many people incubate their gargoyle eggs at room temperature. I don’t because I don’t have AC and my “room temperature” during breeding season can range from the low 60’s to mid 90’s! It’s best to remove the eggs from the cage, since if they hatch in the cage, the hatchlings may become dinner (although I missed an egg one season and was surprised to find a hatchling in the cage one day). I’d recommending filling a deli cup with some moist soil and burying the eggs in it. Put the cup somewhere where you feel the temperatures are more or less steady in the 70’s. Make sure the substrate stays moist, but don’t pour a huge amount of water in there so the eggs are sopping wet. My eggs take 11-13 weeks to hatch at 75 degrees F.
I have 2 long tailed lizards one female and male and they have laid three eggs its been 3 and a half weeks and they are all yellow and dented a lil, but not stinky. Are they ok? Will they still survive?
I’m not familiar with long tailed lizards, but here are some things to consider:
–based on what you can find out, are you incubating them at appropriate temperature and humidity (reptile eggs usually require a steady temperature in a particular range and a high humidity)?
–Did you (or can you)candle them to see if there are red veins,or a general red glow at this point in time?
If you’re incubating them appropriately and they candle red chances are they’re good. If not, keep them until they either hatch or stink. I’ve had gecko eggs that looked fine not hatch and eggs that looked terrible hatch out healthy geckos.
I have two Leopard Geckos, male & female, they are relatively young… I knew I was taking the chance of them breeding by putting them together, but they came from the same pet store tank & it was fall, I was hoping they would do alright together. I have another tank ready if I shall have to move either of them. Last night the inevitable happened. My female laid an egg! But it looks more oval & it is dented. Is it OK or is it most likely a dud? I am thinking she just may be too young…
Also, do you think I should take the male out for a bit? Or would they be OK together? They have always known each other, keep in mind. I have never had issues with them so that is why I am asking. Thank you for the info, any advice would be much appreciated! God Bless!
It’s not unusual for a gecko to lay eggs for the first time that don’t “work out”. She will likely lay again in the next few weeks and eventually may lay fertile eggs. Many people just put their males and females together to mate and then separate them. I keep mine together throughout the season. As long as the male isn’t constantly pestering the female and/or inflicting harm, in my opinion (not in everyone’s) they can stay together.
The other questions for you to consider are:
–how close to 50 grams is the female? If she’s significantly under 50 grams now (she may lose weight during the season), you should separate them so there won’t be more mating, though she will probably continue laying at least a few more clutches
–do you have an incubator, housing for offspring, extra food, resources for medical attention if necessary? If not, things could be tough, but you’ll have to figure out how to deal with the coming eggs.
I have two geckos and they just laid two eggs close to a week ago. The first one we discovered had shriveled up like a raisin. The second one we found aboutique two days ago. It has a pretty big dent in it. We thought it was just from being buried inbetween the sand and moss. Is it normal? They stay at a temp of 80 or so, and the humitiy is fine. We flipped it over and it’s still there
what kind of geckos do you have? A dented egg may puff out again and be OK, or else it’s no good. The conventional wisdom is to incubate it until it either hatches or stinks. I”m not sure what you mean by “flipped it over” (unless you mean to check the dent on the bottom). It’s best not to turn gecko eggs, in general. You may want to consider googling “gecko breeding” (including the type of gecko you have) and reading some more extensive information.
The male is an Australian Japanese and the female is a blizzard from what I understand. She was given to me by a friend to mate. My boyfriend flipped it over to the opposite side. The dent was originally on the bottom and now it’s towards the top of the tank
I’m still not sure what kind of gecko you’re talking about. “Blizzard” is one type, or “morph” of leopard gecko. I have never heard of an “Australian Japanese”. Most people say that the eggs should not be turned because it will drown the embryo. I have read the opinion of one person lately that leopard gecko (if that’s what you have) eggs can be turned, but I wouldn’t risk it. Anyway what’s done is done and hopefully you’ll eventually have a good outcome. Expect more eggs in about 2 weeks.
Do u have to take eggs out and put them in an incubator
The eggs have to be at a steady temperature between 80-88 without changing much. If the place where you have the eggs meets those conditions, then you can keep them where they are. If you’re keeping them in the cage, some people have been successful at hatching eggs in the cage, but the hatch rate is probably lower and you run the risk of the parents finding the babies before you do and eating them.
It’s so funny how everyone says to incubate the eggs and that they need moisture etc. Maybe so if you’re a breeder but, we were cleaning around the mango tree at my granny’s a couple weeks ago and found gecko eggs under a bunch of old wood and coconut shells, cold, dark and dreary, in dry sand/dirt. Mind you St. Lucia is hot throughout the day but the ground they were on is relatively cold and at night it gets pretty cold there as well.
I’m not sure how much this helps but it seems to me their natural habitat is where they won’t be disturbed, usually dark as night all the time, dirt/sand bed under boards or other debris where it’s not even remotely warm not even in the day when it’s generally hot is that area we found them in warm.
It’s definitely true that gecko eggs hatch well in their natural environment, or else there wouldn’t be any geckos in the wild! Some people successfully hatch eggs by letting the geckos lay in the enclosure and incubating them there. Also, different species of geckos require different conditions. For example, I’m running 2 incubators now: one is at 82F for my leopard gecko and other similar species eggs for which that is the low end (incubating for female). The other incubator is at 75 for my gargoyle gecko eggs. One interesting thing, though, is that it’s likely that in the wild a smaller percentage of gecko eggs hatch than in captivity. Our incubators provide ideal conditions so that most or all of our eggs hatch, but in the wild, only the eggs that end up in the best conditions hatch.
Perhaps but, given the mounds that are around my granny’s house, I’m skeptical. They’re literally everywhere.
So a few days ago i bought a adult female leopard gecko from southern agriculture and unexpectedly and surprisingly she layed an egg today , im not sure if she got bred with the other geckos in her tank, or she just layed an infertal egg , i could really use some help and advice, aslo can you make infertal eggs fertal?? And if my egg is infertal should i still incubat it??
If there was no male involved ever, the egg is infertile and there’s nothing you can do to make it fertile. If there was a male involved the egg may or may not be fertile and may or may not hatch. It needs to be in a place where the humidity is high and where there is a steady temperature somewhere between 80-88F. Most people put the egg in a closed container with some moist perlite or vermiculite and use an incubator for this, but some people have been successful putting the container somewhere in the house where the temps are steady and correct. You can candle the egg to see if it’s fertile. I recommend you do some internet research on “breeding leopard geckos” and see what you come up with. Especially if there was a male involved, the gecko is likely to lay a pair of eggs every 2 weeks for awhile. Even if you think the egg is infertile, if there’s away you can incubate it, you should until it either hatches or collapses and stinks. Good luck.
My leopard gecko just recently laid eggs. They’re really yellow but I see a vein. I’m concerned because the shell is developed in some places, but not all, It’s not floppy or anything. It’s quite round and full.
Do you mean that the shell looks a bit translucent in some places? Sometimes that’s fine and sometimes it means that the female needs more calcium to form the eggs. Also, gecko eggs start out a bit soft and grow slowly through the incubation period.
War.can.i.git.laperd.Geckos.Eggs.at.i.wood.love.to.bie.sum
Since gecko eggs have to be kept still without rolling and have to be a a special temperature, it is unlikely that you would find eggs for sale. The only reliable way to get some is to get a pair of geckos and breed them. In that case you have to be sure you are able to incubate the eggs (with an incubator) and have enough space and money for housing the babies, feeding them and taking them to the vet if there’s a problem.
I have a pair of Geckos. One female leopard and one snow morph. My female laid 3 clutches of 2 eggs each time but despite my attempts at putting them into an incubator with a steady correct temperature and keeping a close eye on them, alas they did not hatch. Eventually they seemed to wrinkle and deflate a little. She just laid 1 egg about a week ago, to my surprise since I thought she was finished laying eggs, but when I put a light behind the egg it looked empty.
(Cont.) They all did actually. No red looking mass inside that I could see. I have this lone egg in the incubator of course but it doesn’t look like anything is in it so my hopes aren’t high. I’m not sure if I’m using too much moisture in the incubator or if the eggs just aren’t fertile. I’ve done extensive reading online about breeding but still I get no hatchings. Not sure what, if anything, in asking for. Any help would be appreciated. Thanx.
Breeding can be frustrating. If you never see anything in the egg, it’s likely it’s not fertile (though I have had hatches from eggs where I couldn’t see anything just after they were laid). I have had females who just don’t produce fertile eggs. I had one that I tried for 3 seasons with different males, and . . . nothing. It could be just a first-time issue. There’s always the chance it’s the male’s problem. I do have a pair of Coleonyx where it’s clearly the male who has the problem because when the female was with another male she did fine. You may just need to get a different female, assuming that your incubator is holding temperature well and the eggs aren’t soaking.
The incubator is holding the temperature but I’m confused on how much moisture the incubator is supposed to have. There’s a good amount of moisture in it. I read to keep the lid closed but if I do that then there’s even more moisture in it. I’m starting to think maybe I should just leave the eggs in their tank and see what happens. This is her first time laying eggs so maybe it’s just that this year won’t produce any viable eggs.
What substrate are you using for the egg box in the incubator? Here’s a website that describes how much water to put in if you’re using perlite: http://albeysreptiles.com/incubate-eggs.htm
If you’re using vermiculite, it needs to be moist, but not so much that water drips out when you squeeze it.
If you’re using hatchrite, you’ll have to follow their directions.
Keep the lid closed and don’t put any holes in it. It’s OK if there is some condensation on the sides. Open the lid every week briefly for air exchange.
my female gecko just had two eggs an we have had her for 3 yrs now an I’m just learning about the eggs so do u touch them don’t touch them. Can u leave the eggs with the male an female.
Congratulations on the eggs. They need to incubate at a very steady temperature between 80-88F. Most people use an incubator to keep the temperatures steady. Some people find a place in their house where this will work and some people leave the eggs in with the male and the female. I think the hatch rate is lower that way (there’s too much chance the eggs will dry out or get stomped on by the geckos). Also, it’s possible that when the babies hatch the parents might eat them. It’s OK to pick the eggs up but, after the first day or so, it’s probably a good idea not to turn the eggs. Most people make a mark with a sharpie on the egg so they know which way is up. Do some more research on the internet about breeding and be sure to read the article if you haven’t already.
Hi..thanks for the tips.
I have an egg in a container in the incubator. It is kinda floppy but still white with no marks or discoloration on it. It has been in there for 40 days. How do I know when to leave the container etc open to know if it hatched. I wouldn’t want it hatching in the container.
Thx
It’s fine if it hatches in the container. That’s where it’s supposed to hatch. Just keep checking on it. When I was breeding I would have geckos hatch while I was away for the weekend. It will be fine there.
Hello! I have 4 leopard gecko eggs. One started to crack this morning around 9 am. I’m concerned because it’s now almost 11 pm and it still hasnt emerged. Should I try helping or just let it go?
In general, it’s best to let the hatchling come out if it’s going to come. Sometimes “helping” them out results in a weak hatchling that wasn’t meant to survive and may not survive anyway. It does happen sometimes (it’s happened to me) that the hatchling doesn’t make it through the hatching process, which, I feel, is nature’s way of preventing more weak animals.
hello… so i was stupid and thought putting a male and female gecko in one cage was a good idea and now my female gecko just laid eggs and i’m not ready at all and i’m also only 13 and my family does not have any idea what to do ether and i don’t want to just throw them away. I have them in a container and i also have very wet eco earth in the container as well the container is in between two heat lamps. My gecko also moved the eggs so i don’t know what way there were facing when they were laid can you tell me what to do i really don’t want them to die.
There are some things you can do to make things work out, but the biggest problem is that you may not have the ability to deal with breeding, hatching, feeding and housing a lot of geckos.
First, there is a very good chance that these first eggs are not fertile, so don’t get too worried about whether or not they’ll “die” because they may not be good to begin with (even my most reliable females often would lay eggs that weren’t fertile as the first clutch of the year). Realize that even if you’ve removed the male (I hope you have), the female may lay 2 eggs every 2 weeks for a number of times.
In my opinion, the best thing to do is to get in touch with either a local pet store (not a Petco or a Petsmart) if there is one near you and ask if they know of any gecko breeders in the area. You could also ask your local herp society or put an ad in craigslist to find someone that could take the eggs from you and incubate them.
Don’t worry about the female having moved the eggs. This early, it doesn’t matter if the eggs get turned a few times.
I will send some information about breeding leopard geckos to your email address if you really want to try it, but I do recommend you find someone else to take the eggs so things will be successful.
I have two Female Geckos and we use to gave two males but they never breeded can are Females still have babys? We would like to know becuase we arre wanting babys so for the once that we cant keep we give to good homes.
Female geckos can lay eggs whether or not there is a male to breed with. If you’re talking about leopard geckos, they do lay eggs sometimes but as far as I know these eggs are always infertile because there was no male. If you want to breed your leopard geckos, you will need to have a male and at least 1 female. There are other things you need to have and know that are very important:
–what genes do your leopard geckos have? Breeding without knowing this will not hurt the geckos, but producing geckos where we don’t know what genes they have just creates more “mutt” geckos. It’s not a big deal in the dog breeding world, but it does mess up things in the gecko breeding world for other breeders in general
–you will need to have enough money and do enough research to have a proper incubator and know how to use it, to house and feed a lot of baby geckos (a leopard gecko could produce anywhere from 0-20 or more babies in a season), to be prepared to take a gecko that’s not doing well to the vet and pay for that.
Because there are eggs involved that have to hatch, and because geckos do not care for their babies, it’s more involved than breeding cats, for example. Think really carefully and do a lot of research before you go ahead and breed.
My leopard Gecko just laid eggs on mothers day. We are not prepared for this. Can we use a heat lamp and do a DYI incubator or does it need to be in a real one?
If you can set up something that will maintain a steady temperature (varying by no more than 1-2 degrees) of 80-88F and a container that will maintain high humidity then you can make your own. There are a number of videos about how to do this. A heat lamp may dry out the eggs too much. There’s no guarantee that these eggs are fertile and if you can’t get something together in time for these, there’s a good chance that your gecko will lay again in about 2 weeks. Consider getting a hobovator which is about $50 and works well. Also, google “breeding leopard geckos” and read up on how to do it
Hello
My Leo’s laid eggs a few days ago
I made a diy incubator that is keep humidity and heat well
They are 2 yrs and have been with a male leo since birth from a different clutch
I checked the eggs and saw the embryos
One egg is alittle softer then the other
The other is a bit harder and has some dents in it but still is fertil
I am incubating both but my question is
Can you check them in like a week or so to see if they are still alive?
I dont know when she laid them as I wasnt expecting her to lay eggs till the next week so idk if it was an hour or 10 hours after she laid them
She was still with the eggs when I found them
The enclosure she laid them in was anywhere from 70-85 degrees
I cant be certain how cold or hot it was where she laid them I didnt temp them
I had to remove them using some water from the spot she laid them because they where stuck to the ground she didnt lay them in dirt
Can you email me if you get this
Thank you
I have a male leopars gecko and a female albino rain water leopard gecko. She laid an egg 3 days ago. I transferred it to incubate. Just curious as to what the humidity is supposed to be. I know the temperature. I am new at this and want to know and learn everything possible.
The humidity is likely going to be over 80%. I never measured humidity. If you put the egg in an egg container with a moist substrate (perlite – follow the directions at this website:http://www.albeysreptiles.com/incubate-eggs.htm; other substrates – moist but not wet), with a tight cover and no holes in the cover and if you open the container weekly for a few seconds for air exchange, it should be fine
My leopard gecko laid two eggs. One looks like it was 3/4 eaten and the other one looked nice and it was fertilized. The one that was fertile is now dented. It’s only been one day. Will it survive?
Well it depends on where you put it, so please provide more details about where the egg is. It needs to be in a place with high humidity (obtained by putting it in a closed container with moist substrate), where a steady temperature between 80-88 can be achieved (usually an incubator but there are some other less reliable options). Even if everything is perfect, if the egg isn’t fertile it will dent and be no good.
Hi. My hubbys leopard gecko laid 2 eggs. 1 hatched the other didn’t. Should they hatch the same day? Or do they hatch when they’re ready?. Should we cut it open?
They can hatch a day or two off from each other though they usually hatch the same day. Sometimes one egg is fertile and the other isn’t, or the one that doesn’t hatch starts out OK and then the embryo dies. The problem with cutting it open is that if there’s a hatchling in there that needs a few more days, or a hatchling that really isn’t going to be viable, you end up with a problem and/or a sad outcome. The best advice is to leave the egg in the incubator until it either hatches, or collapses and smells bad. Good luck on future hatches.