# Nest digging



## Carol S (Aug 6, 2012)

Does the female dig her nest with her front or back legs?


----------



## tortadise (Aug 6, 2012)

Back legs.


----------



## Carol S (Aug 6, 2012)

Thank you for the information.


----------



## tortadise (Aug 6, 2012)

No problem. Usually they will go to the corner of the enclosure, back in and start shuffling dirt with her back legs. Is your tort diggin? Sometimes they will dig numerous test holes.


----------



## turtlelady80 (Aug 6, 2012)

My sulcata female started digging with her front legs first to dig sort of a body cavity then turned to dig with her back legs. What kind of tortoise do you have?


----------



## ALDABRAMAN (Aug 6, 2012)

Some can scuff the area with her front legs first, however she digs the actual nest with her hind legs. Here are a couple of pictures of a female aldabra digging a nest site.


----------



## tortadise (Aug 6, 2012)

turtlelady80 said:


> My sulcata female started digging with her front legs first to dig sort of a body cavity then turned to dig with her back legs. What kind of tortoise do you have?



This is true as well. I did sometimes forget about the sulcatas laying in a burrow type. My female has never done that but It does happen.

It would be good to know the species. Because Manouria will build a nest with their front legs and gular, then dig with their back legs. but as a majority they 90% of the time use their hind legs.

Nice greg, just fantastic. Love the biggens.


----------



## Carol S (Aug 6, 2012)

I have 5 adult Russian females, 1 young female, 1 juvenile male and 1 adult male. Pearl was acting strange the other night. Normally she is the first one to go in the hide for the night. She was up late and wandering around the enclosure. She started digging under a bush with her front legs. After watching her for while trying to dig into the hard ground I took a little garden shovel and dug down in the dirt to loosen it up for her. I guess she didn't like me doing that so she went off to bed. I watched her the next day to see if she was exhibiting any signs of nesting, however didn't see anything unusual.


----------



## TortoiseBoy1999 (Aug 7, 2012)

ALDABRAMAN said:


> Some can scuff the area with her front legs first, however she digs the actual nest with her hind legs. Here are a couple of pictures of a female aldabra digging a nest site.



Wow! Cool!


----------

