Can You Leave Leopard Gecko Eggs With The Mother?

When a Leopard gecko lays eggs, you probably want to keep those with the mother, as this is a natural thing to do. But when it comes to leaving leopard gecko eggs with the mother, it can be a different case and you might need to think before leaving the eggs without any assistance.

The Leopard Gecko eggs should not be kept with the mother because it might eat or harm them. The Leopard Gecko, after laying eggs, doesn’t care about the eggs or the babies at all. For this reason, you need to shift the eggs to another place to take care of them.

If you want to know more about Leopard Geckos’ eggs and how to take proper care of them, keep on reading till the end.

Can You Move Leopard Gecko Eggs?

You can move the leopard gecko eggs after the female leopard gecko has laid them. Because of this, the eggs will be protected from cold surroundings. Also, you need to be extra cautious while you are moving the eggs.

After the process of laying, you must ensure that the eggs remain in the same position where you discovered them. There is a possibility that some of the eggs will crack if you rotate them around in the basket.

How Do I Know When My Gecko Eggs Will Hatch?

It is essential to remove the eggs of Leopard Geckos as soon as possible after they are laid. Because the procedure of removal calls for a significant amount of focus and caution and you will need to make preparations for it in advance.

There are some signs that you may observe while looking at the eggs before those hatches. The signs or signals are:

  • Sweating
  • Swelling
  • Leaking
  • Dented

Sweating

This is generally the first clue that reveals whether or not the eggs that you have laid by your Leopard Gecko will hatch very soon or not.

When the eggs are only a few weeks away from hatching, they begin to sweat. Basically, a kind of water droplet formation begins to take place on the eggs. In most cases, this occurs when the eggs are about to be hatched very soon.

On the other hand, it may also be the result of the tank’s particularly high humidity or low temperature. Because of high humidity, water droplets can form inside the tank too. Molds can also grow on eggs if they are damp, which is a great risk for the growth of the eggs.

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You need to ensure that the humidity is at an optimum level because the eggs can only develop properly in an environment with the appropriate temperature and humidity levels. If the eggs are dry, there is a greater risk of the embryo breaking before it has a chance to hatch. Hence you need to check the thermometer to determine whether or not the temperature has to be adjusted.

Swelling

Swelling is also a sign which indicates that the eggs are about to get hatched. But this is not true all the time as this is a very gradual process.

Leaking

The presence of any kind of leaks is an indication that the hatchling is going to emerge from its shell. At this point, you need to take extreme caution and ensure that the hatchlings are provided with an environment conducive to their development.

If you see that the eggs are leaking, you can take a piece of tissue paper and lay it over the area where the leak is occurring. This will prevent the eggs from cracking and leaking.

Dented

The eggs of the gecko appear to have dents just before the gecko infants or hatchlings emerge from their shells. You will thereafter need to ensure that those eggs are properly incubated so that there are no complications after the offspring are born.

How To Take Care Of Leopard Gecko Eggs?

Even after the eggs have hatched, there are a few different approaches you may take to ensure the well-being of the Leopard Gecko eggs. The mother Leopard Gecko has a propensity to injure the eggs, and she shows no concern whatsoever for them.

As a result, you need to check to see that the hatchlings are doing well by following some instructions that are mentioned below:

  1. Place the eggs in the incubator
  2. Cover the container with the substrate
  3. Regulate the temperature and humidity
  4. Remove the eggs after the female Leopard lays them
  5. Do not rotate the eggs
  6. Let the eggs hatch on their own

1. Place the eggs in the incubator

To maintain the health and safety of the eggs, these eggs must be incubated in a proper environment. This can be done by using an incubator or a container that can be set up as an incubator.

To facilitate the speedy transfer of the eggs after they are laid, you will need to have an incubator prepared before your gecko begins to reproduce.

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You can easily buy an incubator at a pet store at a cheap price rate or you can go for an alternative – a plastic container. As they are babies, you do not need to be afraid of them fighting with each other.

You can improvise an incubator out of a modest-sized plastic container. You can place substrate and other necessary elements to make it work like a real incubator. But you need to ensure that any container you use has a capacity of at least 24 ounces before you start using it.

2. Cover the container with the substrate

You need to cover up the bottom or less than half of the container with a suitable substrate. You can get substrates at a local pet store, as well as on the internet.

For substrate, you can go for Vermiculite or perlite which are two types of soil that make excellent components for an incubator. You are free to make use of either one of these options, or a combination of the two.

The bottom part of the container should not be left in any way. The substrate should fill the container. The precise amount of substrate that you need will be determined by the dimensions of the incubator that you are using.

Before putting any substrate into the container, you need to maintain suitable moisture for the substrate. The moisture will play a key role in the egg-hatching process. You need the weight of the substrate to be roughly equivalent to the weight of the water. For example: for 2 ounces of substrate, you will need 2 ounces of water. You can use a small scale for that which can be found at a local store.

Check to see that the ratio is calculated using the weight rather than the volume. If you want your geckos to be happy and healthy, maintaining a proper level of humidity is one of the most important things you can do.

3. Regulate the temperature and humidity

Leopard Geckos require an environment with an average temperature of 73 degrees. Nevertheless, a temperature of 86 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit is considered to be the most comfortable.

To measure the temperature of the incubator, you need to place a thermometer on each side of the incubator with a probe attached to it. You also need to ensure that the air is passing through perfectly so that the eggs remain in good shape and state. You can ensure that by using a mesh on top or keeping the window of the room open for some time.

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4. Remove the eggs after the female Leopard lays them

When your female Leopard Gecko lays eggs, you need to slowly move the substrate to look for them. The reason is, the female gecko may bury them instead of keeping the eggs open on the substrate. This will happen between three and four weeks after mating, so make sure to keep a close eye on your female gecko around that period.

But most likely it will continue doing the laying in batches. You should get the eggs out of there as soon as possible when she is through laying them. A tank designed for adult geckos is not suitable for housing gecko eggs.

You need to place the baby leopard geckos in an incubator. It is important to provide a container or incubator which has proper humidity and temperature regulated in it. It should also have moisture substrate in it.

After finding the eggs, carefully take them out, using a spoon. If you want to pick up the eggs with your fingertips, make sure to only lightly touch them. When you are moving the eggs, you need to be careful not to break them.

5. Do not rotate the eggs

Soon after birth, gecko embryos will be attached to one side of the egg. If you turn the eggs such that they are on their sides, the embryo within will perish. It may be helpful to make a note on the top of the egg with a permanent marker so that you understand which side has embryos.

6. Let the eggs hatch on their own

As the eggs begin to hatch, you don’t need to interfere at all. It does not take very long for gecko eggs to hatch, therefore it is likely that you will check on your tank one day and find that the geckos have already emerged from their eggs.

Final Words

Leopard Gecko laying eggs is a stressful process. And after the eggs are laid, it is recommended that you keep the eggs separated from the mother Leopard Gecko. It is not uncommon for female Leopard Geckos to abandon their eggs after they have laid them as this behavior is typical of the species.

As a result, you have a responsibility to carefully care for the eggs so that they can hatch on schedule without any complications.

Muntaseer Rahman

About Author

Hello, I’m Muntaseer Rahman, the owner of AcuarioPets.com. I’m passionate about aquarium pets like shrimps, snails, crabs, and crayfish. I’ve created this website to share my expertise and help you provide better care for these amazing pets.

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