Known for the avian incubators that they have been manufacturing for the last 26 years. However, having listened to the needs of herpetoculturalists they have now applied their experience to the reptile world.

The design of the incubator is functional and yet pleasing on the eye and, if appearances can sometimes be deceptive then this one most certainly is. While first impressions suggested that it wouldn't be able to accommodate an entire Corn snake (Pantherophis Guttattus) clutch comfortably, 14 good-sized Corn snake eggs can be placed within the egg chamber with plenty of room to spare. You may find that the egg chamber is not deep enough for a clump that is three or more eggs high, but it certainly fits a single layer of eggs with no problem and would allow eggs that have adhered to one another up to two eggs high (which is fairly common with Corn snakes) without difficulty.

As with all incubators, it is imperative that this one is set up in advance of placing the eggs inside in order to fine-tune the temperature, which is easily done by adjusting a screw on the front panel. Once this temperature is set as desired, however, it remains constant throughout. Even the hottest summer days in the reptile room have no effect on the temperature showing on the incubator's thermometer that can be clearly seen in the egg chamber. This is incredibly important as excessive temperatures can mean death to developing embryos.

The incubator arrives complete with everything that you could need to successfully incubate your eggs, including the vermiculite. The major advantage of this incubator, which cannot be emphasised enough, is the clear visibility of the developing eggs at all times throughout the incubation period. A good-sized window is incorporated into the lid of the Hatchmaker and this allows you to see through the plastic egg chamber lid, and did not mist up at all at any time throughout incubation.
This incubator is certainly recommended for anyone who intends to hatch chelonian, lizard or small to medium sized snake species.

If you want stress-free incubation with minimal risks then this Hatchmaker R incubator is the one for you. / Tanya Stevens

View the published review as a pdf file.