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My female Saharan finally dropped 4 eggs on Monday (April 19th). Naturally, she avoided the nest box altogether and laid them all on the opposite (i.e. cool end) side of the enclosure.

Right now, they're in the incubator, which is set at about 90'F (+- 1 degree). I'm hoping they'll firm up in a day or two, but they don't look that good.

Congrats!! Hopefully they are fertile. I have read that it doesn't take long to know if good or not.

How are they looking? Fertile?

Regrettably, they did not make it. I gave them a week in the icubator and they never firmed up, and were growing mold by this past Sunday.

At that time, I set-up my incubator as per Doug Dix's (deerfernsfarms) instructions: small cooler with few inches of water, warmed by aquarium heater; 2 bricks suspending a rubbermaid container holding Hatch-Rite. Temps stayed about 90'F (+-1degree). Any of this sound wrong? If so, any suggestions?

The nestbox inside the tank is a large show-box with Excavator substrate in it (also per DFF).

Oh, I'm so sorry, that's such a complete bummer!!! I was so excited for you when I saw she had laid. Do you think you had somehting wrong with their incubation, or do you think the male didn't get it done right? So sorry, better luck next time. . . . . . .

Maybe nothing? Who knows? I'm just open to constructive criticism as to better success next season.

I have been speaking with other local herp breeders and a lot of folks seem to have late and/or low clutches this spring. Maybe the increased colder weather this past winter (colder than most winters we have in the southeast) had some effect on it.

I have no experience with Uro eggs, yet, but have incubated tortoise eggs successfully. From what I have read from Doug's website you had them set up correctly. I wonder what the humidity was inside the incubator. Did you have a hygrometer inside there? Hopefully I will get a chance to try and incubate some eggs this year. If not, hopefully next year. I hope Troy will give his opinion and offer any advice.

So...nearly 2 weeks have passed, and the female is still dropping an egg every several days. Of course, they're always nowhere near the nestbox and while we're both at work. Are they all duds from the start and is she just expelling them now just to get rid of them?

I couldn't tell you that. However, I'm sure my dad could.
We have some female Saharans that we are sure are gravid. Dad isn't quite sure when they wiill lay, but we hope soon!

Yes, she is most likely dumping them to get rid of them.
It is interesting that she laid on the cool end of the cage, none of my females laid until I moved the egg laying site to the hot end of the cage.

If this is here first year laying that can also be a contributing factor. I have never tried the cooler incubator method you describe but I know
other breeders have had success using it. I picked up a Natures sprit incubator with a Herpstat proportional heating controller
off craigslist.com for $200.00 and it worked real well with the clutch that I had go the distance this year. In the old days I hatched out Ornates
using a hova-bator for several years in a row, but I got the Natures sprit incubator this year as it can handle 8-10 clutches and I hoping for more
Eggs then would fit into a hova-bator.

What kind of substrate did you use in the incubation container? Vermiculite, Pearlite, Hatchrite?
How much water did you add to the incubation medium? Did you microwave the incubation medium prior to use?
I give it 20-30 seconds in the microwave to kill any bacteria prior to use. It is reported that this may help
Keep the mold down.

Did your eggs have a red spot on them? Red spot indicates fertile eggs.

Did you place the eggs in the same orientation as they were laid? Not sure if this is necessary but I always
Try to place the eggs with the same orientation as they were laid.