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i have two turtles2007-11-24 2:00:54

Unless the area in which captive tortoises and turtles live is very similar in temperature and soil to that of the natural environment, eggs will rarely hatch if left in the nest. They should be dug up very carefully, the top of each egg marked with a pencil (not a marker; the shells are permeable and the ink is toxic) to guard against turning and jarring, and then placed in an incubator.

Incubators may be anything from the commercial type used for chickens (available at some pet stores, feed stores, or by mail-order) to the homemade variety made from bread boxes, cardboard boxes, styrofoam coolers, small glass aquariums, or even margarine tubs (placed in a warm spot with a few small holes in the lid so oxygen can get in). A light for heat control should be in the incubator, plus a thermometer (either hung on inside wall or placed next to eggs) and, in cases where water or box turtle eggs are being incubated, include a small container of water or wetted-down sphagnum moss for necessary humidity. Eggs incubated without minimal humidity tend to cave in, dry out and not hatch. Most eggs require a small container of water near the eggs, replenished regularly (the water evaporates).

Sand, peat moss or other floor covering may be used, but again this is a matter of personal preference. Some fanciers bury eggs in sand to a depth of an inch or two. Others do not. In 1969 the San Diego Zoo incubated its eggs in sand-filled earthenware crocks, covered with sheets of glass to contain condensed moisture. A hazard to sand is that a newly hatched turtle or tortoise may eat it, become impacted and die. Soft, finely sifted, chemical-free dirt works well for most eggs and won鈥檛 tear the yolk sac attached to all new hatchlings for the first few days of life.