It took so long but your crested gecko eggs haven’t hatched? You want to know are your cresties eggs dead or not? Cool, you are in the right place. In case you hurry, you can click here to directly jump to the answer.
Crested geckos are known to be prolific breeders that even a novice keeper can breed successfully.
Crested geckos have a natural breeding cycle that will last for about 8-9 months.
As a novice breeder, sometimes you may wonder if your crested gecko eggs are fertile or infertile.
This article will give you an insight into that.
This article has been reviewed by Dr. Gospel. Read more about our knowledge control process here.
Contents
What Do Crested Gecko Eggs Look Like?
Gecko eggs are usually oval or round in shape based on the species. In their breeding season, they will lay a clutch of two eggs.
The eggs are usually soft at first, and it gets hard after the first few days that it is laid.
During the incubation period, some eggs can grow bigger, and you will notice a dent before it starts hatching.
A crested gecko egg is usually small and flexible.
Let’s continue reading.
Crested Gecko Eggs Health Check
If you are incubating your crested gecko eggs, you need to know what do healthy crested gecko eggs look like? Or want to tell if the eggs are dead?
All the info is here!
The Signs of Good/Fertile Crested Gecko Egg
Fertile crested gecko eggs are usually white and solid. However, you should ensure you do not throw away eggs that look infertile because they may also hatch.
New to crested gecko? Check out the crested gecko care sheet now! We had listed out all the things you need to know about crested geckos as pets. Check it now!
You should incubate all the eggs, and you will find out when an egg is infertile in around three weeks.
Some eggs may look infertile at first but later hatch after incubating them.
The Candling method
You can detect if a crested gecko egg is fertile by candling it. You can use a keychain-type flashlight or big Maglite for candling. After you shine the beam and the egg’s content is pinkish in color, it is likely fertile.
Note: Ensure you do not roll crested gecko eggs around or shift them from the original position because it can drown the developing fetus.
How Long Does It Take A Crested Gecko Egg To Hatch?
It will take about 60-70 days for your crested gecko’s eggs to hatch if you incubate them at a higher temperature with the proper incubating substrate.
At lower temperatures, it takes about 100 days for your crested gecko’s eggs to hatch.
New to crested gecko? Check out the crested gecko care sheet now! We had listed out all the things you need to know about crested gecko as pets. Check it now!
Do All Crested Gecko Eggs Die if They Haven’t Hatched After Incubation?
Crested gecko eggs can look fertile and healthy for some period before it turns bad during the incubation period.
Bad eggs are usually described as moldy, smelly, leaking, discolored, and so on.
Although there is nothing that can be done to bad eggs. You should incubate them until they stink or hatch.
However, in some situations where you can manually open the eggs that do not hatch after incubation to check if your gecko is dead or not.
Signs of Infertile Crested Gecko Eggs
There are some times when your female crested gecko will lay an infertile egg. Some of the signs that you can identify with infertile crested gecko eggs are stated below.
- If your egg becomes yellow or starts molding when you incubate it
- When your eggs are extremely soft and floppy
- If the egg is flat and has a poorly formed shell
However, if you notice that a crested gecko egg is infertile, it is best to incubate all of the eggs until you are sure that it is not good.
Signs Of A Dead Crested Gecko Egg
The most correct way to know if your cresties’ egg is dead is by using the candling method.
With that method, if you do not see any veins running through the egg, then it is dead.
Another alternative way is putting your eggs in cool water. If the eggs do not move, then they are most likely dead. If they slightly shake, then they should hatch in a few days.
Some people say that the shells often soften prior to hatching and sometimes get a bit moist. In that case, you can leave the egg alone.
Crested Gecko Eggs FAQs
Are crested gecko eggs soft or hard?
Crested gecko eggs are usually soft at first but will harden up within the first few days after they are laid. A soft and floppy egg is usually infertile, but you can still incubate it to be sure that it is not good.
What are the signs of dead lizard eggs?
Once the egg starts to stink, then the lizard egg is dead. If you notice that no veins are running through the egg during the candling process, then it is dead.
Can you open the crested gecko eggs yourself?
There are some situations where you will need to open your crested eggs yourself manually. Most breeders consider this method as a bad idea and should only be used when it is necessary. This is because hatchlings that do not have enough strength to emerge from the egg on their own may not become healthy adults.
Conclusion
The breeding of crested geckos is usually fun and interesting.
The best thing is that the process is quite easy.
You can successfully hatch crested gecko eggs if you do it correctly, know what you are doing, and ensure you give every egg a fair chance of survival.
Some eggs may look infertile at first but later hatch after incubating them.
Hi. I have incubated 7 healthy gecko babies. Her last 6 eggs havent produced. I currently have 2 eggs that have been incubating for about 3 mos now. They have looked healthy up until about a week ago. They have turned ‘brown’ and softened. They arent moldy or smelly so I have left them alone. I tried candling them tonight and I don’t know if I’m doing something wrong but I couldn’t see thru either egg. I don’t know if this means they have died or just that I don’t know what I’m doing!!! Any help would be appreciated.