We have eggs!

[Alicewave]

Aurora laid two eggs last night. Chris has them set up in a makeshift incubator until we can get them in the hovabator. We have to make a decision. THe original plan was to transport the eggs to my house (75 minute drive) but Chris thinks we should just bring the Hova to his house.

Transport Eggs:
Pros: I get to see them hatch, I will probably be more diligent about maintaining proper temps and humidity, I have more room to set up the hatchlings.
Cons: Riskiness of transporting eggs. (Anyone have any suggestions about the best way to do it?)

Transporting Hova:
Pros: Don't have to disturb eggs. Future clutches can go straight to the Hovabator.
Cons: I don't get to see them hatch :(. Not sure how well chris will do with the humidity/temp thing, and then he has to deal with the hatchlings.

What should we do? I really want the eggs at my house if there is a safe way to transport them. Please help.

[Pres.Nixon]

Well I dont know much about breeding but CONGRATS!!! :)

[SnowSnake]

get something that can distribut a little heat and put that under a deli-cup with the eggs in it. (put vermiculite or perlite in the deli-cup)
Congrats for the eggs! :D

[nicola_boulton]

concrats!!! i think if i was u i would transport because u know more about them and can take better care of them than chris. I think the best way 2 transport them would be 2, put them in a polostirine box of vermixulite (damp not wet!!!!), about an inch apart and cotally cover them. And make the box compact with vermixulite so there is no room 4 them 2 bowch around. make sure the substrate in warm. Good luck and sorry 4 the bad spelling!!!!!!!

[Alicewave]

Hmm, thanks for the replies guys. A couple people in chat thought tilting the eggs at the slightest angle would cause them to drown. Does anyone know for sure if this is true? Has anyone transported Leopard Gecko eggs and had them successfully hatch?

If it's true that they would definitely drown then I think chris is going to incubate these first two in the makeshift thing and I'm going to take Aurora back to my house to lay the rest of her clutches.

[Tim and Julie B]

Okay, I think that I can help you out. Although I don't recommend moving them I'm sure that this will work, but I need to know what temperature you are planning on incubating them at. If you want females then it'll be possible to transport. Go to a pet store and ask them if they have any spare styrofoam fish shipping boxes, most are willing to give them away. Purchase 3 heat packs (Canadian Tire sell them as feet warmers in the sporting section, for around $2.50 each). Follow the directions for activating the heat packs and tape them to the bottom of the box in 3 corners, you will put the container of eggs in the other corner. Fill the box with shredded newspaper and pack it down lightly. Be sure that the eggs stay warm by keeping the box inside for a couple of hours before you take them home. Even if they drop a couple of degrees lower than what your incubating them at you will do them no harm. The first two weeks is when the temperature determines sex, so as long as you have everything steady within a few hours of getting the eggs home you should have no problems. I had an incident last year when my gecko room became too hot. I think that it was about 96 degress inside my incubater and I had kept them at 82 degrees to make females. I was really worried that I had killed the embryos but they all hatched happy and healthy, and most were female! Good luck with them. If there's anything else you would like to know please feel free to e-mail or pm me any time. I work weird hours so I may not be able to respond quickly all of the time, but I will eventually! I personally don't like using hovabaters as they always dry out my eggs, especially for hotter incubation temps. I don't mind having to add water every now and then, but I would rather not disturb my eggs for any reason. LOL Using a fine point felt marker mark the surface of your eggs so that if they do tilt you'll know which side is supposed to be up. If they are tilted for more than two hours the embryos "could" suffocate, but as long as you are quick and place them with the marked side up once you get them home, then you should have no problems.

[Alicewave]

Great! Thank you!!

[matt_winter]

Congradulations on those eggs.