# WHY use an incubator? Aren't normal viv conditions not suitable?



## shiftyraccoon (Mar 2, 2009)

Been reading alot about breeding and egg laying etc... but seem to wonder WHY we even need to have an incubator?

Surely in the wild the eggs are just left in the laying spot until they hatch?


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## cornmorphs (Jan 28, 2005)

They are used to fake the conditions that there would normally be in the area they live.. not many reptiles could lay eggs and in the uk in the wild with them living, if any?..
we have to fake heat and humidity to make them hatch.


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## RepBex (Jan 17, 2008)

my college have hatched leo eggs by useing one of the BDs viv as an incubator the BD just sat on the box never botherd it 

they all hatched


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## cornmorphs (Jan 28, 2005)

beardyLover said:


> my college have hatched leo eggs by useing one of the BDs viv as an incubator the BD just sat on the box never botherd it
> 
> they all hatched


 yeh i did that with corns a few years back...paul c on here, he does that all the time i believe


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## 170pand (Dec 22, 2008)

i hatch beardys eggs in tub in viv when i first started out,every one of them hatched,,better hatch rate than incubater


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## Morphene (Jun 28, 2008)

shiftyraccoon said:


> Been reading alot about breeding and egg laying etc... but seem to wonder WHY we even need to have an incubator?
> 
> Surely in the wild the eggs are just left in the laying spot until they hatch?


 
The difference is that in the 'wild' a corn snake for example will have a choice of where to lay & be able to choose the correct environment for the eggs to be incubated naturally.
In captivity they don't have that choice to really explore where they want to lay, we have to provide them with a lay site/box & hope that they will accept it as a place where they can lay their eggs. So that's before the eggs are even moved to an incubator for incubation/hatching. So in a way the lay site/box would also need to be acceptable the 'corn snake' as well. Whether the eggs are being left in there or not.
I've never tried it myself as I prefer not to disturb the viv occupants if I want/need to check on the eggs for what ever reason.
I would assume it depends on the individual reptile/species?


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## James D (Nov 17, 2008)

It isn't always necessary to use an incubator. Many crested geckos, pygmy chams, cat geckos, etc. have hatched out in the viv fine.

What is (usually) required is a stable environment....big fluctuations in temp. and/or humidity can spell disaster for eggs. That is the main purpose of an incubator.......vivs are rarely stable enough in one or both of those factors.


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## punky_jen (Feb 22, 2007)

what you gona breed luke?


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## reptismail (Nov 15, 2008)

some animals are better of incubatign their own eggs. ithinkburms are one of these aniumals which incubate better them selves


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## shiftyraccoon (Mar 2, 2009)

punky_jen said:


> what you gona breed luke?


Nothing as of yet, if my Basiliks get a bit frisky though, you never know haha

Plus I looked and saw you can make an incubator from a poly box, a heat mat, some bamboo and a stat lol so gonna try that idea!

Can test it on my stick insect ova too!


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## purple-vixen (Feb 4, 2009)

Does this then mean leo eggs could carefully be placed in a sealed box in the corner of the viv where it is hottest? The temps rarely change. Surely the leo wouldn't bother it?

Just a question. 

x


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## SleepyD (Feb 13, 2008)

purple-vixen said:


> Does this then mean leo eggs could carefully be placed in a sealed box in the corner of the viv where it is hottest? The temps rarely change. Surely the leo wouldn't bother it?


incubating the eggs in the leo's viv can be done ..... however (you just knew there was going to a however somewhere lol) ~ doing so doesn't provide the temp range stability needed ~ the hot end is too hot for any extended period of time with the cool end being too cold ... midway offers some possibilities but again the heat (or what there is of it) is all 'bottom based' whereas the eggs need a 'surrounded' warmth. 
Greater care and attention is also required to not only make sure the egg box doesn't dry out or overheat but also that the humidity level remains stable and that some air exchange is allowed .... plus female crix find eggbox's ideal for laying their eggs in  
then of course there's the problem of the leo's already occupying the viv ... they can be and are quite capable of moving/rolling the eggbox ~ I've watched mine shift and roll a heavy rock when rubbing against it to remove shedding skin


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## purple-vixen (Feb 4, 2009)

SleepyD said:


> incubating the eggs in the leo's viv can be done ..... however (you just knew there was going to a however somewhere lol) ~ doing so doesn't provide the temp range stability needed ~ the hot end is too hot for any extended period of time with the cool end being too cold ... midway offers some possibilities but again the heat (or what there is of it) is all 'bottom based' whereas the eggs need a 'surrounded' warmth.
> Greater care and attention is also required to not only make sure the egg box doesn't dry out or overheat but also that the humidity level remains stable and that some air exchange is allowed .... plus female crix find eggbox's ideal for laying their eggs in
> then of course there's the problem of the leo's already occupying the viv ... they can be and are quite capable of moving/rolling the eggbox ~ I've watched mine shift and roll a heavy rock when rubbing against it to remove shedding skin


That makes sense  Fair play, prevention is better than a cure therefore best to get a seperate incubator then


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## japes (Feb 24, 2009)

My marbles will quite happily lay eggs after eggs on the viv walls under the leaves and in other specific places and they hatch fine.. also successfully hatched leos in their vivs


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## Exotics-Woman (May 20, 2008)

i had 4 leo eggs last year and put them in a butter tub in the viv, unfortunatley a cricket managed to get into the tub and destroy 2 of the eggs, but the other 2 hatched fine. Just make sure the tub is cricket proof.


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## jaysonc3 (Nov 20, 2008)

Reticulated pythons and Burmese pythons both successfully incubate their own eggs in captivity. They control their body temps to lower or raise the temps of the eggs. The only trouble is getting the babies out once hatched as these giant snakes could crush the hatchlings.


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## dusty cricket (May 5, 2009)

with cresties and gargoyles, if eggs are left to hatch themselves in the viv then the adults will eat the young as a source of calcium, a seperate box would always be recommended.


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