How Can I Hatch Lizard Eggs?

If you have a pair of breeding lizards, you will need to make a few preparations before the female lays her eggs. Most lizards are gravid for between 4 and 8 weeks, depending on the species, and the eggs take roughly 6 to 12 weeks to hatch after laying. Low incubation temperatures can produce females and higher temperatures produce males in some gecko species and bearded dragons. As a guide, the average incubation temperature is around 85 degrees Fahrenheit, but different types of lizard have their own specific requirements. Do some research before incubation to make sure you set the incubator to the correct temperature for your eggs.

Things You'll Need

  • Incubator
  • Vermiculite
  • Small plastic tub or empty livefood box
  • Water
  • Small dish or container
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Instructions

    • 1

      Half-fill a small plastic tub with vermiculite. Livefood boxes are ideal, so once you've finished a tub of crickets or locusts, rinse the container and keep it for when your lizard lays her eggs.

    • 2

      Pour water over the vermiculite until it is moist but not soaking wet. Approximately three parts of vermiculite to two parts of water provides the required consistency and humidity. If the vermiculite is too wet, the eggs will grow mold and deteriorate.

    • 3

      Make a slight indentation in the vermiculite for each egg and gather the eggs from your vivarium. Transfer the eggs one at a time and place each one in a separate indentation in the vermiculite, taking care to keep the same orientation and laying position. Do not turn or rotate the eggs.

    • 4

      Place the tub of eggs inside the incubator and set the thermostat to the correct temperature for your species of lizard. You don't have to buy a reptile incubator; chicken incubators do the same job and are often a little cheaper.

    • 5

      Keep a small dish of water in the incubator to maintain humidity levels and dampen the vermiculite if it starts to dry out, but don't pour water directly onto the eggs.

    • 6

      Wait for the eggs to hatch. The first sign that you are about to acquire baby lizards is a slight indentation in the egg shell. As the shell collapses, the baby lizard bites its way out of the egg. This process may only take a couple of hours or up to a day or two for bearded dragons. If part of the egg sac is still attached to the hatchling, do not try to remove it. The baby will either eat or discard the remaining sac remnants once it emerges fully from the egg.