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Ok, I have eggs. Now what? 

8/8/2013

23 Comments

 
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Are you a hobbyist trying to breed crested geckos for the first time? Maybe you didn't intend to be a breeder but your female suddenly produced fertile eggs? 


I'm going to hit a couple of highlights about eggs here-but this article is not intended to be comprehensive regarding breeding or incubation. Feel free to post questions. 


Are your eggs fertile? 


Question: If you have raised your female since she was a baby and she has always lived alone but then you come home one day to find an egg in her cage, did a crested gecko Don Juan sneak into her cage? 


Nope. Geckos lay infertile eggs just like chickens and other egg laying species. The females can start laying anytime after 25 grams and should be provided a nest box so that they can lay in there if they want to. Many won't lay infertile eggs in a nest box. They lay them on the substrate instead. But giving the gecko the option keeps her from holding on to the eggs and becoming egg bound. 


Question: If your female is living with a male can she become gravid even if she isn't 40 grams yet? 


Yes. You should separate males and females as soon as the males 'drop'. Many people recommend having them live separately from the time they show pores. 


Question: My female may have lived with a male at the pet store/breeders/my friends house but I don't have a male and she has lived alone for the last 8 months. Could her eggs be fertile? 


Yes. Females can retain sperm for a year. So even though she hasn't been with a male on your watch, she could still lay fertile eggs if she was bred previously. 



 Question: How do I know if the eggs are fertile? 


Candle them. This term is a holdover from the days when candles were used for light, but today it simply means holding the egg in front of a light source in an otherwise dim room. The easiest light source to use is an LED pen light flashlight. Hold the egg in front of it and look for a red ring that can encompass 1/4-1/3 of the top of the egg. If the egg is yellow all the way through with no red spots, veining or ring then chances are it isn't fertile. But incubate it a week and check it again because sometimes it takes a little time to develop. 

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Hopefully you provided your female with a nice moist nest box and she did you the honor of laying her eggs in there. The first thing you want to do is use a felt tip pen (or a pencil but don't press too hard) and mark the top of the eggs as they were laid in the box. You can write the date and mother's name or initials on there if you want too. This won't work if the eggs are poorly calcified and the shell is bumpy so just put a dot on the top under those conditions. 


I prefer to wash my eggs so I can candle them and see how the shell is doing. I just rinse them off with cool water and rub the dirt off lightly with my fingers to get them clean. They will be slippery so be careful. 


After washing I place them in a container with a moist hatching medium. You can use deli cups, GEO's, craft containers or any container with a lid that won't let too much air in/moisture out. If I am placing the eggs right on the medium then I dig a shallow hole and nestle the eggs in so that they won't roll around. Place them with your marked side up. They can be side by side or in individual compartments. I haven't found that it matters. If your container is air-tight you might want to poke some very small holes in it or open it once a week for some circulation. 
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Your eggs might look different depending on the experience, diet and health of your female. They might also be affected by the medium in the lay box-coconut bark/eco earth is well known for staining. 


If they come out white and then start turning brown though chances are they are going bad. It is still worth incubating since it can be hard to tell sometimes if an egg has truly gone bad-if it is growing then it still has a chance of hatching. In the picture above the eggs were collected in the same 2 week period. The eggs that are starting to sink and turn brown are going bad. The eggs with the brown speckling however are still viable. The eggs on the left that are dented and fuzzy were most likely infertile to begin with. 


Denting is not always a sign of an egg going bad. It could be that your nest box was dry or that your female laid outside of the nest box. That type of denting is due to a lack of moisture and the egg is drying out. Wash the egg off and place it into a humid incubating box and it has a chance of recovery. If your incubating medium is too dry the same thing will happen. Add water but add it as far away from the eggs as possible. 


Sometimes too much water can be just as harmful as too little and humidity changes can be an issue with viability. Try to keep your humidity level inside the incubator as steady as possible. Temperatures can vary a bit-cool at night with a natural steady rise during the day is fine and mimics natural conditions. But sudden temp spikes should be avoided and can kill a batch of eggs. 
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As the eggs develop they will change shape and size and possibly color. Some eggs get very dark grey right before hatching. Others simply swell and tip up at the ends. Most will sweat and cause condensation to form on the top of the deli cup or incubator as they get closer to hatching. Their initial composition affects how they will change over this time. 


Eggs that were poorly calcified might swell early because they are absorbing a lot of water through the shell. This can delay the growth of the hatchling and cause a longer incubation time. A poorly calcified egg also tends to be more leathery and more difficult for the hatchling to get out of. Watch this type of egg closely in the 2 weeks before you expect it to hatch (hatching time is based on temperature for crested geckos) to make sure that the baby hasn't slit the egg. Once it does you may want to help it out, but that is an individual choice. A healthy egg and hatchling rarely need this kind of intervention so I don't personally intervene with normal eggs that don't hatch. However a hatchling might be perfectly healthy and still not be able to get out of and egg that is  tough and leathery egg due to poor calcification. 
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Hatching Time
Your incubation time will vary depending on your temperatures. Eggs can be incubated from 65-78 degrees. Most people stay in the 68-75 degree range. At the lower temps you might have as long as 130 days of incubation. At the top of the range you can have as few as 65 days. There is some evidence to suggest that staying over 80 days creates a better crest and tail structure. If your goal is to incubate for 75 days or longer your temps will need to be 75 degrees and under at the hottest part of the day. 



Once your babies hatch they will need a small enclosure with hides and humidity so they can complete their first shed. Have a small Kritter Keeper or tall deli cup nearby with greenery and paper towels all ready to go. Beware though-the little hatchers are given one survival skill at birth. They are tricky. They hold very still to fool you into thinking they are dead. Then when you touch them they take off like rockets into the smallest, most awkward spot they can find. Best of luck with your hatchlings! 
23 Comments
Rachel Wintjen link
8/8/2013 06:47:54 am

Hah, loved this read! Great job on this, Lorna. I'll be linking people to this one for sure!

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Lydia link
8/10/2013 12:11:48 pm

Excellent information presented in a easy-to-understand way. Thanks for taking the time to write this.

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peggy norman
2/15/2018 08:50:18 pm

will leopard geckos breed with leopard geckos?

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Lorna link
2/18/2018 10:40:57 am

Hi Peggy, I'm not an expert on Leopard Geckos as I only work with New Caledonian Geckos (and a few from Madagascar). If you are asking if Leopards will breed with Crested Geckos though, then the answer is no. They are pretty different right down to the type of environment they like.

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peggy norman
3/6/2018 01:34:33 pm

thanks for the info--I have a leopard & a crested in a large tank & they each pick their favorite area--the crested has now laid 2 more eggs but I can't tell the fertility--I left them in the moss in which she laid them & mist it occasionally--I've had this setup for about 2 years & now the two geckos molt within 24-36 hours of each other, will sometimes lay near each other or crawl over one another--Am i nearing a Jurassic Park scene of "NATURE WILL FIND A WAY"? I sure don't relish the idea of mixed breed little ones scurrying around the terrarium!!! So nice to chat with you.

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Brian D
4/2/2018 04:24:48 pm

Why do you have a crested living with a leopard? They have very different tank needs. They would be much better off separated.

Lorna
4/5/2018 11:52:59 am

Yes, as Brian has mentioned, the two species are not compatible. They cannot interbreed and do not come from the same type of environment. Please see my Care Sheet and the Gecko Info tab with About Geckos and Crested Geckos specifically to read more about their native environment and see some pictures and videos of the habitat. They are arboreal and enjoy a temperate rainforest environment in a vertical cage with plenty of climbing areas. Leopards are terrestrial and prefer a horizontal cage with a drier and hotter environment than is comfortable for the Crestie as they hail from desert areas and grasslands in Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan. Plus the Crested Gecko will eat a fruit based diet (they are primarily frugivorous) while the Leopard is strictly insectivorous and needs a variety of insects for ideal health. Both species can be territorial as well and can be stressed by cage mates of their own species, let alone different species. Given the fact that both animals are nocturnal, the majority of their behavior probably goes unobserved-so even if they seem calm during the day (when they are normally sleeping) this doesn't mean they aren't competing at night.

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Olivia
5/29/2018 01:50:42 pm

Should I be concerned if my female gecko has not ovulated? She’s full grown and healthy. She eats well, defecates and is active.

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Lorna link
5/31/2018 11:38:28 am

Female geckos will typically start laying infertile eggs around 18 months to 2 years of age and around 35-40 grams. If you are feeding a good quality crested gecko diet 2-3 x per week like Pangea, Repashy, Black Panther Zoological etc. she should be getting enough vitamins and minerals to make egg laying possible. There could be a number of things going on if the above conditions have been met:

1. "She" might be a "He". Please see the article on pore sexing.
2. The humidity might be very low in her cage, causing egg binding or reabsorption. Please see the care sheet for basic info.
3. She might not have a place to lay the eggs. Please see the article on how to make a nest box.
4. She might be laying the eggs somewhere you don't notice them-i.e. in a rolled up wet paper towel, under the nest box, in a plant etc.

Females don't always lay infertile eggs every month-she might only lay a couple sets a season or she could lay regularly once the warm weather hits. Make sure she has a little dish of calcium available to her and gut load and dust your feeders with calcium if you use them.

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Gloria
5/18/2019 02:03:17 pm

Thank you for this thread very useful. I was caught by surprise coming home to find two eggs in the vivarium. What should I do for little girl? Should I take her eggs out or leave them there for her? Is she going to need calcium if she keeps laying eggs or is that going to be worse for her seeing that they are infertile? Thank you

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Lorna link
6/1/2019 03:14:17 pm

Hi Gloria,

If the eggs are infertile then you can simply throw them away. They will not hatch. Geckos lay infertile eggs (like chickens) during the warm months even if they have not been with a male. Usually the infertile eggs do not take as much out of their systems as fertile eggs will and most females do fine without supplementation. It does not hurt to leave an open little dish or bottle cap of calcium in the cage though if you want to err on the side of caution. Always dust bugs if you feed them with a mineral supplement once a month (I like Miner-all) and a calcium +D3 powder (lower you D3 supplements if you use UV) every time. A lot of females will be receptive to eating bugs after they lay to put the protein and calcium back in their systems. Do not put bugs in right before they are due to lay as many females will not eat up to 5 days prior to laying and you don't want crickets running around the cage while she is trying to hide and lay eggs.

Here is a guide if you don't have a nest box already available:https://www.lornasredskygeckos.com/care-blog-and-faq/making-a-shed-or-nest-box
If you are using natural soil that she can dig and lay her eggs in and keeping it moist then a nest box is not mandatory. They can be helpful for keeping the humidity up even under those conditions though.

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Savannah
3/18/2020 07:31:55 pm

Hi! My crested gecko just laid eggs today, and I was wondering if I HAD to move them into a separate incubation box away from the mother? I have my male in the same tank still but my female has already buried them completely and will not leave their side, I don’t want to disturb her or the eggs! Clearly this isn’t first time dealing with little ones, haha!

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Lorna
4/5/2020 05:24:02 pm

Hi Savannah,
The eggs will hatch in the cage if there is moist soil or other medium for the eggs to stay covered and humid during the incubation period. I have been surprised a few times by particularly sneaky mothers who hid the eggs too well for me. The downside to this is that many times the Crested Geckos will eat the babies. They are opportunistic feeders and not particularly maternal. Babies are just the right size and move quickly which draws their attention. If your goal is to raise babies then I would remove the eggs-she will forget about them in a day or two. Try to place them in the incubator in the same direction that they were buried in. Putting a dot of ink on the "up" side can help you keep it straight.

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Ash
4/26/2020 11:55:47 pm

Hello! My gecko laid an egg this morning, but it was just one egg instead of a usual pair. Is that a cause for concern? Is there a chance she’ll lay another in a few days?

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Lorna
5/16/2020 10:58:24 am

Hi Ash,
You might see another in a few days, sometimes they do get delayed for one reason or another. If her appetite is good, she is active, and the usual weight and the shell on the one she layed looked good I would give it another month and see what she does. You might find 3 in the box next time. Of course if she seems off health wise-she is losing significant weight, inactive, trouble shedding, for instance... then I would take her in to the vet for a check just to make sure she does not have a parasite or amoeba issue or even something going wrong with the reproductive system. Sometimes a little mineral or avocado oil in a small dish for free feeding can help if she is having trouble laying also. Make sure she is getting calcium-I leave in a dish for free feeding during the warm seasons as well as dust the bugs with it. Also make sure her nest box has fresh substrate-whatever you are using-for the season and not building bacteria while at the same time staying moist enough to encourage her to dig and lay. Hope this helps!

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Katelyn
6/12/2020 10:26:46 am

Just wondering if it is safe to touch eggs with your fingers or if that could be damaging?

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Lorna
2/15/2021 01:42:11 pm

Touching eggs is fine and is often the only way to get them out of the nest box into the hatching box. You want to avoid shaking them, dropping them, or rolling them. Ideally you will place a little mark on the top of the egg so you know which way to place them (face up the direction you found them) in the hatch box.

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Alex
1/26/2021 10:20:13 pm

Wonderful article! I was just curious about what’s the best medium/ types to keep the eggs in?

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Lorna
2/15/2021 01:53:59 pm

Hi Alex,
Glad you liked it. Personally, I like Hatch Rite or Pangea Hatch at Pangea Reptile. It changes names but it is made of clay pebbles. The product was commonly used in ponds and aquariums. When it is dry it is a light orange, when wet it turns to a darker orange-brown making it pretty easy to see if your medium has dried out. You can wash and boil it after a clutch has hatched to sterilize it again or discard and replace. Other options are: perlite, vermiculite, moss, peat moss, jungle mix. Depending on your environment and the types of containers you use you might find better success with one of those. After the Hatch Rite I like perlite.

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Valerie
2/28/2021 12:45:02 pm

Hi, thank you so much. I’m a new gecko parent (prior owner left town in a hurry), and am getting all my information from sites and experienced gecko parents like you. My new gecko (Vicki) did spend some time with a male gecko before I adopted her. She laid 2 eggs a week and a half ago, and I’m worried I did not move them properly. Before I knew what to do, I examined them and turned them over, to look for the pink ring. Did I ruin their chances for life?

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Lorna
3/2/2021 01:42:04 pm

Hi Valerie,
Freshly laid eggs are not as vulnerable to turning as eggs that have sat a while. Try to avoid it, especially as the eggs mature, but right now the chances are high that they are fine. Did you find the cheerio?
Good luck,
Lorna

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Bryan
8/5/2021 08:24:31 pm

Is it normal for first time breeders to lay mostly infertile eggs.

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Kairi
8/7/2021 04:13:42 pm

Hello, my crested gecko laid a fertile egg on around June 9th and I have been incubating it. Recently though bumps started to form on it. It is mostly on one side of the egg I believe it is where the embryo was but there are also some bumps scattered a little on the egg. Im wondering what this is. Please let me know.

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    Lorna @ RedSkyGeckos 

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