Gecko Egg Incubation Procedures

Many individuals have contacted me searching for an easy incubation method that successfully incubates and hatches juveniles. Outlined below is the method I use which achieves, on average, a 95% hatch rate.

There is no need to spend a fortune on an incubator and in most cases a simple still air Hovabator, which is available for under USD$100 (including freight to Australia), is a simple and easy incubator to use. I have used the Hovabator for a number of years now with no issues or complaints. They can be purchased in the USA for Australian usage but you will need to purchase an Australia adaptor plug to convert the voltage.

It is best to keep your incubator in a cool room to achieve an adequate temperate that has little fluctuation. In summer months an air conditioned room set at an ambient of about 21° Celsius will be sufficient to enable a set incubation temperature of between 27 to 29° inside the incubating unit. It is important to remember that an increase in the ambient room temperature will effect your incubation temperature if it is a severe temperature increase.

Next step is to purchase various cheap air tight plastic containers from your local supermarket. They must be air tight. I generally sterilise these either in the freezer for a few days or with hot water. Very accurately mix 250 ml of vermiculite with 25 ml of water (applicable to soft shelled egg layers) and mix thoroughly to cover the vermiculite with moisture. Finally fill your air tight plastic containers so they are about half full with the above mix. Seal the containers with their lids and place into your incubator.

It is imperative to note that if your incubators internal temperature is 28° Celsius that the temperature inside your air tight containers will in most cases be -0.5 to -1.0° cooler. I find by incubating at 28° that the air tight container temperature is generally closer to 27.5° Celsius.

Where possible avoid incubating at temperatures higher than 30° Celsius as the chances of speeding up the incubation period can cause some weak juveniles or premature deaths by the developing embryos within the egg.

It is imperative that you get accustomed to gravid females and make sure the laying material or nest boxes within the enclosures has a slightly moist substrate or medium. I try to collect all eggs within the first 24 hours of being laid and quickly mark the eggs with a small line and place them on top of the incubating medium within the air tight containers. The marking of the eggs is crucial as moving or bumping the eggs during incubation can damage or kill the developing embryo within the egg.

Once the eggs are placed in the incubator there should be no further need to open the containers until hatching has occurred. Depending on the species and incubating temperatures the fertile eggs should hatch within a 50–90 day period. Hatching is normally preceded by the sweating of the eggs which is the formation of droplets of moisture on the eggs exterior.

Infertile eggs or eggs where the juveniles have died tend to cave in or become invaded by mould. However some eggs will still be covered by mould but still hatch successfully. Eggs which have caved in or shriveled up tend to be of no further use, particularly in the first month of incubation, and can be discarded.

I keep new hatchlings within the incubator for about 24 hrs after hatching and then transfer them to a nursery enclosure. Make sure you check the unhatched eggs in the air tight containers to see that no movement has occurred due to the newly hatched juvenile’s movements. All line marked eggs are facing upwards so the line is visible.