Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have always read that you are not supposed to rotate eggs when moving them into the incubator. This morning I found that my gecko had laid her eggs so that they were straight up and down. When I took them out I left them this way. I have also read that eggs can be rotated without killing the embryo as long as it has been within 24 hours. Is this true.

Not to worry. If they are freshly laid and you position them gently the way you want them in the hatching substrate they should be fine. I have had them get pretty tossed and turned and still hatch out just fine.

I agree. If you find them in the morning and you re-posistion them then they will be fine. But you should not move them at all after they have been settled into the incubator or whatever container you are using. Do not candle them or pick them up, as it is possible to cause the embryo to drown. -Joe

I agree. You definitely do not want to rotate the eggs once they're in place in your incubator. However, you can candle them as long as you leave them in place. I use a penlight and place it next to the egg while it's in the incubator to see if the eggs are fertile (if they are, you'll see the "magic cheerio"...sometimes it can take up to 2 weeks to see it, though). If you don't know how it's done, I have some pictures on my webpage. www.crestedlady.com/crestedcare.htm

Good luck with your eggs!

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~Sarah~
www.crestedlady.com