How to Make a Homemade Incubator for Leopard Geckos

Leopard geckos are popular pets for a variety of reasons. They are interesting yet require less care than most typical captives. Whether you are raising your leopard geckos for fun, profit or both, it's an exciting time when you realize you're now also responsible for a fresh clutch of eggs. Fortunately, the proper care and incubation of leopard gecko eggs has been fine-tuned over time, so that it is a relatively easy endeavor.

Things You'll Need

  • Perlite
  • 200 gram capacity scale
  • Water
  • Sealable air-tight rubber or plastic food container
  • Measuring cup
  • Water-soluble fine felt tip marker
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Instructions

    • 1

      Remove your leopard geckos from their cages as soon as you realize that eggs have been laid. If the eggs are left with the female long enough, she could easily damage them with her claws. It is important that you do not disturb the eggs at this point.

    • 2

      Weigh your sealable plastic container and write down the value. Cover the bottom of your container with an inch of perlite and weigh the container again. Subtract the value of the empty container from the full container to determine the weight of the perlite, and write down this value.

    • 3

      Multiply the weight of the perlite by 0.8 to determine the amount of water to add to the sealable container. Pour the water into the container. Smooth out the surface of the perlite so that there are no pronounced ridges or depressions visible.

    • 4

      Mark the top side of each egg with a small (X) using the felt-tip marker. If any eggs appear broken or excessively shriveled, they should be removed immediately. Moldy eggs can be kept, as they are known to produce fully developed young, but they should be kept in a separate container than the rest of the eggs.

    • 5

      Starting on one end of the plastic container, make an impression with your thumb deep enough to bury the bottom half of the first egg. Place the eggs into the depression, making sure to keep the side with the "X" facing up. Fill in around the egg with perlite to keep it from moving. Continue in this manner with the remaining eggs. To maximize the number of eggs that will fit into your incubator, place them as close together as possible without touching.

    • 6

      Place the container in an area where it won't be disturbed. You will need to take the lid off the container once a week for a few seconds to allow fresh air to enter the incubator. Discard or isolate any egg that becomes moldy or begins to shrivel and darken excessively as compared to the rest of the clutch.