Using this method, the location is usually marked or recorded and in most cases encircled with a protective screen. Some breeders prefer to remove the eggs from the nest and place them in a coffee can on moist leaves or damp sandy soil. In either case, the eggs are periodically checked near the end of the incubation period. Natural incubation is not recommended if the turtle or tortoise s native climate is different from your own. Eggs of most tortoises and some other turtles are incubated artificially, that is, out of the nest in an incubator or similar set-up.
Many breeders use commercial chick incubators.
Homemade incubators can be constructed from discarded nut warmers, bread boxes, or cardboard boxes as long as a heat source is provided. Eggs have also been hatched in electric skillets on a layer of sand, with the temperature set on low. Others devise a makeshift incubator from an aquarium, using the reflector lights as the source of heat. The San Diego Zoo incubates its eggs in sand-filled earthenware crocks covered with sheets of glass to contain the condensed moisture. Some claim that the sand should be sterilized.