# What do we do after the tortoise lays their eggs



## skyblue (Jan 9, 2014)

Hi tortoise lovers friends

Would like some suggestion on laying egg of leopard tortoise
I live in indonesia where the temp is around 23-31 celcius rainy season now ( one rain every 2 days)

At the moment my leopard pardalis is trying to dig a hole...
If she manages to lay her eggs
Then what should i do?
Should i leave it for a day then i dig the eggs?
Or just leave the egg underground?
Atm i don't have incubator

Please help guys


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## Yvonne G (Jan 9, 2014)

Your country might be a bit too moist for those eggs to be left in the ground. You can collect them as soon as she pops them out. Greg (aldabraman) actually holds his hand under the tail and catches the egg as it's laid. If you take the eggs as soon as they are laid, then you don't have to be too careful about keeping the same orientation the egg fell into the hole in. But if the eggs have sat for any length of time, you have to keep the in the same direction they were laid. Don't turn them. Nestle them down into some moist perlite or vermiculite and keep them at temperatures from 83F to 86F degrees. Try to maintain the moisture inside the incubator for the duration. You can buy incubators online, or do a search for home made incubators here on the Forum. We've talked about it before.


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## Greg T (Jan 9, 2014)

If you don't want to mess with it then just leave them alone and see what happens. I had a clutch hatch underground and all but one made it out of the hole.

I prefer to control the situation though and collect the eggs after laying. My female is not scared of me so I can get them as she lays, but usually I dig them up right afterward to reduce some stress on her. I'll keep them in a plastic tub in moist vermiculite for about a week and then into the incubator. Some people will put them in a closet or somewhere that stays at a fairly constant temperature if you don't want to use an incubator.

At 86-88 degrees F, it will take about 100 days to start hatching. Longer if the temps are lower. My female just laid a clutch of 9 a few days ago.

Good luck and ask questions if you have them.


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## Laura (Jan 9, 2014)

get on line and buy a incubator.. so you are prepared for next time!!


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## skyblue (Jan 9, 2014)

Here is the photo
I think at night or early morning she lays her eggs
N at the moment she is guarding the eggs place

I think i should just leave her 
Try to put some shade on top of the place
Should i put up a heater??

Thx guys


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## Greg T (Jan 10, 2014)

Yep, definitely finding a spot. If this is her first time laying, she may dig many holes over the next several weeks before she actually lays eggs. You also need to keep an eye on her every day to see if she digs because she may lay without you knowing and one day babies are walking all over your backyard (been there!).

When she starts, let her continue unless it will get way too cold for her health. Some people will put a heat lamp on her, but if it gets too cold, I just bring mine back in and she will dig another hole later on. Doesn't happen too often luckily.

The entire process of digging. laying and covering back up takes about 6 hours or more. Quietly walk around and watch. It is an amazing process for sure. How they dig that deep round hole with their back feet is simply amazing!


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## Tom (Jan 10, 2014)

Do you know where in Africa your tortoise, or its predecessors, came from?

Some leopard eggs need a diapause, and others don't.


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## skyblue (Jan 10, 2014)

A day before the photo this leopard i call her SASA
Has been digging at that place
The photo is at the following morning where she has fill in the hole

So i expect that eggs has been laid there

Just bought sasa for about a month

Hopefully the eggs may produce offsprings successfully


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## argus333 (Jan 16, 2014)

also don't leopard eggs need a cooling period during incubation?


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## Greg T (Jan 16, 2014)

argus333 said:


> also don't leopard eggs need a cooling period during incubation?



I have had great success with both a week long cool period (room temp diapause) and also straight into the incubator. I don't know if the cool period works or not, but I have followed that method for the last several clutches with no problems.


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## skyblue (Mar 8, 2014)

Please help me identify if i have a fertile eggs
My leopard keep giving eggs once a month
At the moment she is digging again






I don't see any dark colour when i use a light


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## bouaboua (Mar 8, 2014)

What do we do after the tortoise lays their eggs??

I think you did the right thing which is to post a thread here...........


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