Incubation

Once the eggs have been collected, they are placed in a container with moistened vermiculite. This is the same material that is used for potting plants; it is also used in egg incubations for many species. Vermiculite holds on to moisture, so the eggs will not dry out. 

Detailed records are kept as to the mother, the number of eggs and how they were collected. Each egg is numbered, and the container is placed in an incubator that is programmed to maintain a specific temperature. In most species of turtles, the incubation temperature determines the gender of the hatchlings. It’s important to incubate at a temperature that will produce both males and females.

Over the following days and weeks, the eggs must be watched carefully. Every few days, the container is weighed to see how much moisture has been lost, and water is added to return the moisture and humidity to the ideal level. This can take a long time when a center is incubating a number of eggs!

Some of the eggs won’t be fertile — meaning they will not hatch — but those that are healthy will start to hatch approximately two months after being laid.

Once harvested, eggs are placed in a bed of moistened vermiculite.