# This is what i found (warning-graphic picture)



## turtlelady80 (Jul 11, 2012)

This is a picture of the inside of my leopard tortoise. I thought I'd share it with everybody because:
1. I find it very interesting
2. Maybe some of you have never seen the inside of a tortoise before
3. Anybody more experienced than me could maybe take a look and give me 
their thoughts....
(All the yellow yolky round balls are her developing eggs and not a normal part of the anatomy)
So what I found is that the placement of the eggs are so far up in the early stages, that in order to "palpate" or "feel the eggs, the female must be not too far away from dropping them. 

Again please give me any insight on what you think by looking at the pictures.
Thanks for looking and to those of you with a weak stomach, sorry if I grossed you out.


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## The three Gs (Jul 11, 2012)

*RE: This is what i found (picture)*

Is the tortoise dead or alive...? 



The three Gs said:


> Is the tortoise dead or alive...?


Oh, that's your tortoise who was too young for the eggs... I'm very sorry to hear about what happened to her.


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## wellington (Jul 11, 2012)

*RE: This is what i found (picture)*

That is amazing. The teenie tiny ones are eggs also, right? So, do you think the cause was, to little tort for so many eggs, pressing on too many organs? Thanks for sharing, I know it could have been easy.


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## Eweezyfosheezy (Jul 11, 2012)

*RE: This is what i found (picture)*

I am very sorry for your loss. How big was she?


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## NinjaTortoises (Jul 11, 2012)

*RE: This is what i found (picture)*

What happened to it??? Sorry bout him passing


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## pam (Jul 11, 2012)

Sorry for your loss  Thank you for sharing


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## Laura (Jul 11, 2012)

*RE: This is what i found (picture)*



NinjaTortoises said:


> What happened to it??? Sorry bout him passing



its a HER. I think they thought Egg bound? or were there just too many eggs in such a young female? 
When does the Shell develope?


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## EricIvins (Jul 11, 2012)

Most African Tortoises are not Palpable to begin with, since the ovaries are carried so high up........

The animal is not egg bound, as this occurs when the Eggs are shelled, dropped down into the Ovaducts, and mature enough to be laid.......A select few Females are palpable at that point.......From what I see, I would lean more towards an infection or a rupture somewhere in the reproductive system......The Follicles look alright, other than the fact that they may be infertile to begin with.......


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## l0velesly (Jul 11, 2012)

Did the vet open her up to see the cause of death? Poor thing.


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## DesertGrandma (Jul 11, 2012)

that is interesting. Do you know when the eggs start to get shells? I am so sorry she didn't make it. Thank you for sharing as I didn't know that they could mate if they were too young. Good to know.


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## turtlelady80 (Jul 11, 2012)

Yeah I think the tiny ones were trying to grow. I thought that there were too many eggs overcrowding her body and there was no way they would of become shelled and passed through successfully. I was told that she was big enough to breed and she would probably lay closer to 5 eggs her first time. She was 10inches. I don't know when or how long it would have taken to become shelled at that point of production. All the intestines the stomach, liver, lungs, kidneys, bladder, heart looked good. Could have been a rupture of some sort but an infection wasn't spotted. I have palpated a few sulcatas and felt them full of eggs so you can palpate African Species. 

Unfortunately there was just too much going on in there. 
Thanks for all the support


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## EricIvins (Jul 12, 2012)

turtlelady80 said:


> Yeah I think the tiny ones were trying to grow. I thought that there were too many eggs overcrowding her body and there was no way they would of become shelled and passed through successfully. I was told that she was big enough to breed and she would probably lay closer to 5 eggs her first time. She was 10inches. I don't know when or how long it would have taken to become shelled at that point of production. All the intestines the stomach, liver, lungs, kidneys, bladder, heart looked good. Could have been a rupture of some sort but an infection wasn't spotted. I have palpated a few sulcatas and felt them full of eggs so you can palpate African Species.
> 
> Unfortunately there was just too much going on in there.
> Thanks for all the support





16 Eggs for a first time Female is not that uncommon, even at 10 inches.......There was plenty of room because the size of the Ova really wouldn't have changed from what you see......

And again, most of the African Tortoises are only palpable once the Eggs have moved into the Ovaducts and are ready to go......Most Females still carry them high enough in the body cavity to not be palpable either way, or at least reliably......


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## NinjaTortoises (Jul 12, 2012)

Thanks for the info, and im very sorry she couldnt make it, i am sure she wouldve lived long under your care


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## jayde7699 (Jul 13, 2012)

I'm so sorry, I know that if that were to happen to any of mine I wouldn't be able to do anything for days knowing that she was gone, I'm so SO sorry!!!! :::


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