Question 1

How long do leopard gecko eggs take to hatch?

Accepted Answer

Leopard gecko incubation ranges from 35 to 89 days depending entirely on temperature — warmer incubation hatches faster, cooler incubation takes much longer. There's no single 'average' the way there is for most reptiles, since temperature is deliberately varied by breeders to control both timing and hatchling sex.

Question 2

What is temperature sex determination (TSD) in leopard geckos?

Accepted Answer

Leopard geckos don't have sex chromosomes — hatchling sex is determined entirely by the incubation temperature during a critical window of development. Incubating around 80°F produces a mix of sexes, 87.5°F is the 'hot female' range producing mostly females, and 90°F produces mostly males. This makes leopard geckos a classic example of temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD) in reptiles.

Question 3

What temperature should I use to incubate leopard gecko eggs?

Accepted Answer

Select your target incubation temperature in the calculator above based on your desired hatch timing and hatchling sex ratio — 80°F for mixed sex and the longest incubation (around 58 days), 87.5°F for mostly females and moderate timing (around 44 days), or 90°F for mostly males and the fastest incubation (around 40 days).

Question 4

How do I use the leopard gecko egg incubation calculator?

Accepted Answer

Enter the date the eggs were laid and select the incubation temperature band closest to your setup from the breed dropdown. The calculator returns the expected hatch date based on that temperature, along with the full 35–89 day range across all possible incubation temperatures.

Question 5

What incubation substrate is best for leopard gecko eggs?

Accepted Answer

Vermiculite or perlite, mixed with water at a roughly 1:1 ratio by weight, is the standard substrate — it holds moisture well without becoming waterlogged. Bury the eggs about halfway, keeping the top exposed, and avoid rotating eggs from their original orientation, since the embryo attaches to the upper inside of the shell early in development.

Question 6

How do I candle leopard gecko eggs?

Accepted Answer

Candle around day 10–14 to check for a pink, vascularized appearance indicating a viable, developing egg — an infertile or 'dud' egg stays yellow and translucent with no visible development. Leopard gecko eggs are relatively soft-shelled and can be candled gently without much risk if handled carefully.

Question 7

How do I care for a leopard gecko hatchling?

Accepted Answer

Set up a small enclosure with a warm side around 88–90°F and a cool side around 75°F, along with a moist hide to support shedding. Hatchlings typically eat their first meal — appropriately sized crickets or dubia roaches dusted with calcium — within a few days of hatching, once their first shed is complete.

Question 8

How does leopard gecko incubation compare to bearded dragons and crested geckos?

Accepted Answer

At 35–89 days, leopard gecko incubation is far more variable than bearded dragons (55–75 days) because of its strong TSD-driven temperature dependence. Crested geckos (60–120 days) incubate at cooler, more stable room temperatures and don't exhibit strong TSD.

Temperature	Typical Sex Ratio	Approx. Incubation
80°F (26.7°C)	Mixed sex	~58 days
84°F (28.9°C)	Roughly 50/50	~48 days
87.5°F (30.8°C)	Mostly female (“hot female” range)	~44 days
90°F (32.2°C)	Mostly male	~40 days

Temperature Band	Avg. Incubation (Days)
80°F (26.7°C) — Mixed Sex	58 days
84°F (28.9°C) — 50/50 Range	48 days
87.5°F (30.8°C) — Mostly Female	44 days
90°F (32.2°C) — Mostly Male	40 days

Species	Avg. Days	Notes
Leopard Gecko	35–89 (TSD) days	Strong temperature-dependent sex determination
Bearded Dragon	55–75 days	Genetic sex determination, not TSD
Crested Gecko	60–120 days	Cooler, room-temperature incubation; no strong TSD

Leopard Gecko Egg Incubation Calculator

Leopard Gecko Gestation Calculator

Temperature Sex Determination (TSD) Explained

Incubation Substrate Guide

Humidity, Candling & Hatchling Care

Incubation by Temperature Band

How Leopard Geckos Compare to Other Reptiles

How We Calculate Leopard Gecko Incubation

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources & References

Related Calculators

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