Most eggs of reptiles are spherical or elliptical in shape. Some have soft, flexible shells; others have leathery shells, while some have hard shells like those of birds. The baby is cushioned inside the egg in a bag of fluid. The oxygen and moisture necessary for growth is absorbed through the shell, while the yolk provides nourishment for the young.
Reptiles usually lay their eggs in sand, soil, humus, or rotting logs. The number may vary between two or three at a time, and a hundred at one go! Some reptiles, like the female Indian python, look after the eggs with devotion. Others, like lizards, ignore the eggs once they are laid! When it is time for the baby reptile to hatch, it emerges from the shell in different ways. Baby snakes cut their way out of the shell using a special tooth. Baby turtles and crocodiles have a horny projection at the tip of their snout that helps them to break out of the shell.
The fact that reptiles do not need water to lay their eggs is one of the main reasons, why reptiles were able to overtake the amphibians, and rule the planet for a very long time.