# ??? Behavior



## shayee (Jul 16, 2012)

I believe that Shelly is digging with her back legs under the condo hide. I went outside and her whole backside was covered in mud. I washed her off and she ended up going to the small hide. Then I looked under the condo and it is muddy and there is a pit under the side where the stairs are and foot prints everywhere. Does it sound like she is digging to lay eggs?


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## dmmj (Jul 16, 2012)

Yes it sounds like it to me.


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## Yvonne G (Jul 16, 2012)

Hi Sharon:

Yes. The female will dig a bit then pee quite a bit to soften the dirt and make it easier to dig. 

You should let her alone and allow her to finish digging.


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## shayee (Jul 16, 2012)

I am just watching really. When I come home from work each day I check the area out to see if there are any changes or eggs (wishing) but then I get out and just do what I normally do and that is feed water and watch them all. She is always walking around and plopping down then getting up and walking and it's a cycle.


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## RonHays (Jul 16, 2012)

It's a dark and very humid area under there. Will she still lay eggs in that spot with no sunlight getting in there? Or do they prefer shaded humid areas?


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## alben909 (Jul 16, 2012)

These are signs


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## dmmj (Jul 16, 2012)

They will lay wherever they feel like. Sunny spots, dark damp spots, they may even dig several fake nests, just to mess with you.


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## SailingMystic (Jul 16, 2012)

dmmj said:


> They will lay wherever they feel like. Sunny spots, dark damp spots, they may even dig several fake nests, just to mess with you.



Lol!! My girl did that this week --(dug a lot of fakes), but tonight it's a very deep hole... But I actually think she got tired and went to bed and left it ...


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## turtlelady80 (Jul 17, 2012)

Did you check the muddy wet spot where she was digging for eggs? Dig them up?


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## RonHays (Jul 17, 2012)

turtlelady80 said:


> Did you check the muddy wet spot where she was digging for eggs? Dig them up?



No. Should I try now?

It was just a deep mudhole is all. She did come up to me to see what I was doing. Lol now she's back under there just sitting.


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## turtlelady80 (Jul 17, 2012)

I have heard and read that a female sulcata will come back to her nest sometimes even ramming you to protect her nest and I have heard they will sit on it as well so YES if I were you, I would start digging lol. The cavity could be deep. Kind of feel the dirt and see if there is a spot that feels kind of loose. Start there. Be careful. Let us know if you find anything!

Was she recently with a male? What size is she?


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## RonHays (Jul 17, 2012)

turtlelady80 said:


> I have heard and read that a female sulcata will come back to her nest sometimes even ramming you to protect her nest and I have heard they will sit on it as well so YES if I were you, I would start digging lol. The cavity could be deep. Kind of feel the dirt and see if there is a spot that feels kind of loose. Start there. Be careful. Let us know if you find anything!
> 
> Was she recently with a male? What size is she?





I dug pretty deep and it was loose muck for the most part but like I was saying... She was watching to see what I was doing and as soon as I left the enclosure, she went underneath there to check everything out. Maybe I haven't gone deep enough. 
The answer to your other questions is that she is 12", my other female is 8 1/2 inches, and my male is 11 inches. They're all in the same large enclosure.


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## bigred (Jul 17, 2012)

turtlelady80 said:


> I have heard and read that a female sulcata will come back to her nest sometimes even ramming you to protect her nest and I have heard they will sit on it as well so YES if I were you, I would start digging lol. The cavity could be deep. Kind of feel the dirt and see if there is a spot that feels kind of loose. Start there. Be careful. Let us know if you find anything!
> 
> Was she recently with a male? What size is she?





I was wondering what size she was as well. Usually my redfoots will start digging in the late afternoon in a spot that gets late afternoon sunshine


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## RonHays (Jul 17, 2012)

So it sounds like to you that She was watching me to see if I was disturbing her nest?



bigred said:


> I was wondering what size she was as well. Usually my redfoots will start digging in the late afternoon in a spot that gets late afternoon sunshine



Thats just it bigred... The spot she has been digging in never gets any sunshine. It's underneath the upper deck enclosure where it's dark and muddy. I'm baffled by it. I figured she would lay where there's sunshine. 

How long does it typically take a female to dig approx 12" into the ground if the ground is soft and murky?


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## bigred (Jul 17, 2012)

RonHays said:


> So it sounds like to you that She was watching me to see if I was disturbing her nest?
> 
> 
> 
> ...




All torts are different and are going to pick different spots, Mine walk around for about 5 days and dig test holes and smell the ground for the perfect spot. Sometimes they dig for 5 hours and just walk away. If she has some eggs in there she will dump them somewhere. Have the ever laid before


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## turtlelady80 (Jul 17, 2012)

Ok so if she is 12in she is too small to lay. Sulcatas should be atleast 17 in before breeding. The male sounds to be too small to produce too. She probably was just making a pit to get cooled off. If your male does decide to mate with her, I wouldn't let it happen. You shouldn't have her breed when she is too small because it could cause serious health issues.


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## RonHays (Jul 17, 2012)

turtlelady80 said:


> Ok so if she is 12in she is too small to lay. Sulcatas should be atleast 17 in before breeding. The male sounds to be too small to produce too. She probably was just making a pit to get cooled off. If your male does decide to mate with her, I wouldn't let it happen. You shouldn't have her breed when she is too small because it could cause serious health issues.



She's not a sulcata. Lol she's an adult redfoot. 

I do have a sulcata but he's only a hatchling. Lol


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## bigred (Jul 17, 2012)

RonHays said:


> turtlelady80 said:
> 
> 
> > Ok so if she is 12in she is too small to lay. Sulcatas should be atleast 17 in before breeding. The male sounds to be too small to produce too. She probably was just making a pit to get cooled off. If your male does decide to mate with her, I wouldn't let it happen. You shouldn't have her breed when she is too small because it could cause serious health issues.
> ...





Im thinking we are talking redfoots right? Another thing I have encountered is that I try not to spook my torts while they are laying or at least not let them see me. I have spooked them in the past and I try to keep other torts away when they are digging. You dont want another tort climbing over the top of them while they are digging a nest


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## RonHays (Jul 17, 2012)

Yes they're redfoots.


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## turtlelady80 (Jul 17, 2012)

Oh oops. Then yeah she's ready lol. I don't know where I got Sulcata from. Did you check the spot again?


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## RonHays (Jul 17, 2012)

turtlelady80 said:


> Oh oops. Then yeah she's ready lol. I don't know where I got Sulcata from. Did you check the spot again?



Yeah we just came in from digging again. I think deep down inside she's laughing her a** off at us because we just did a lot of digging to no avail. Lol. So anyhow we're going to keep a close eye on her and see where it goes from here. Now on to some clean up.


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## bigred (Jul 17, 2012)

Just got to keep an eye on her


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## turtlelady80 (Jul 17, 2012)

Just to let you know my Yellowfoot dug her nest inside her dark hide box where there is no sun so anything is possible. It's just really up to her. Yeah what Bigred said, keep an eye on her but make sure to be sneeky so she doesn't see you stalking her lol.


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