Leopard Gecko Egg Incubation Guide
| Incubation length | ~35–90 days (typically 6–10 weeks) |
| Female-producing temp | ~80–84°F |
| Male-producing temp | ~88–90°F |
Temperature-dependent sex
Leopard geckos have no sex chromosomes — incubation temperature alone determines sex. Roughly 80–84°F yields mostly females, 88–90°F yields mostly males, and the mid-80s produce a mixed clutch with a female bias.
Setting up the incubator
Use a dedicated reptile egg incubator rather than the lay box itself, with a moist medium like vermiculite or perlite. Bury eggs about halfway, space them roughly an inch apart, and keep the same side facing up as when they were laid.
Humidity and handling
Keep humidity around 70–80% inside the incubation container. Eggs that dry out will shrivel and fail; overly wet conditions risk mold. Avoid rotating or shaking eggs when moving them.
Hatching
Healthy fertile eggs firm up within a couple of weeks — soft eggs that stay soft and don't firm up are usually infertile. Depending on temperature, hatching typically takes 6–10 weeks, with warmer incubation producing faster hatches.
After hatching
Hatchlings live off yolk reserves at first and typically don't eat until after their first shed, usually within the first week. Keep them separate from adults, who may see them as prey.
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A single adult leopard gecko needs a 20-gallon long tank as an absolute minimum, with a 36x18 in (40-gallon breeder) footprint now considered the recommended standard — plus a secure lid, an under-tank heater on a thermostat, a thermal gradient, at least three hides, and a shallow water dish.
Set up in this order: substrate, then heat source wired through a thermostat, then hides and water dish, then decor — and run the whole enclosure for at least 24–48 hours to confirm stable temperatures before your gecko moves in.
Hatchlings can start in a 10-gallon tank or tub, juveniles do well in 20 gallons, and adults need a 20-gallon long as an absolute minimum — with 36x18 in (40-gallon breeder) now the widely recommended standard, not just an upgrade.
Heat a leopard gecko enclosure with an under-tank heater and/or overhead heat source (halogen or deep heat projector) wired through a thermostat — a thermostat is mandatory, not optional, and heat rocks should never be used.
Leopard geckos can survive without UVB using dietary D3 supplementation, but current husbandry guidance now recommends low-level UVB (roughly 2–6% T5) as best practice — it improves D3 synthesis, bone density, and natural behavior, and views on it have shifted significantly from older nocturnal-species advice.
Keep ambient humidity around 30–40% across most of the enclosure, with a dedicated humid hide raised to roughly 70–80% to support smooth, complete sheds.