# What is going on with these eggs?



## River Turtle (Jun 19, 2015)

Alright so as things go with experiments, this has been very interesting. I've got my first clutch of 2 russian tortoise eggs on April 16th. My female

 Lena had been with my male Felix and a week before the eggs showed up she had been pacing a lot (and dummy me- didn't realize she wanted a place to dig  ). She laid the eggs out on the substrate and luckily I had an old hovabator incubator from raising chickens and ducks as a kid. 

The incubator reached 88 F and its been constant since. The eggs are in a small Tupperware sitting on top of vermiculite half full and and a lid with holes punched in resting on the top. There is a bowl of water supplying the humidity. Around week 3ish when I was in Costa Rica, my mom was watching the eggs (basically just filling water when needed) and that is when the cracks/mold? showed up. First on the first egg and then on the second, but the second still doesn't have quite as much! 

As it is now week 9 (and I've read the avg

 time for RT eggs) I am posting a picture of what they look like now. I'm hoping they are fertile because the inside of both eggs had an increase of dark mass in the bottoms. The first egg was more apparent around week 4/5 and the second egg is less dark but does look more so lately. Anyways despite their awful exterior, they do not stink and look different when I put a flashlight against them. 

*** As many threads suggest

 here: Incubate until they hatch or explode! I intend to keep the same mentality... 

Any thoughts, has anyone seen this before?


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## turtlelady80 (Jun 22, 2015)

I'm sorry to say this but those eggs are no good...
Cracks/mold tells me that it might have gotten too wet...and I don't see any veins or any sign of life. 

Don't feel bad though. Most of the time when tortoises lay their first clutch they aren't viable anyway...and alot of the time when they just plop them out onto the ground, they are just "unloading the duds". 

But the good news is now you know when your tortoise starts acting funny again, that she's going to lay!! Give her a proper nesting sight so that she can nest and hope for some babies next time!

Good Luck


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## ZEROPILOT (Jun 23, 2015)

Remove them carefully.
It's crazy how badly an exploded egg can stink! And for how long!


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## River Turtle (Jun 29, 2015)

turtlelady80 said:


> I'm sorry to say this but those eggs are no good...
> Cracks/mold tells me that it might have gotten too wet...and I don't see any veins or any sign of life.
> 
> Don't feel bad though. Most of the time when tortoises lay their first clutch they aren't viable anyway...and alot of the time when they just plop them out onto the ground, they are just "unloading the duds".
> ...



Thank you for replying! As sad as it was for me, after reading this I came to my senses and removed the eggs from the incubator :/ Because, BIOLOGY! I had to open them despite the second one stinking horribly! Nothing at all had developed, and the first egg even had mold inside of it (which made it lighter I think). Anyways, I'm feeling better that they were just yolk and no sign of intelligent life inside, I would have felt horrible if they developed or something. 

I am now wondering, is the mold a result of incubating dud eggs, or is that more to do with too high of humidity with otherwise good eggs!?


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## turtlelady80 (Jul 3, 2015)

Anytime I had mold forming it was only on the duds...I then would seperate the bad eggs from the good so to not harm the good eggs with mold spreading to them. Or of course in your case throw the smelly moldy non viable eggs away. 

Like I mentioned before if that was your females first nest, be ready for round #2....could get some viable eggs next time Look for veins!! Fingers crossed...good luck!


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## River Turtle (Jul 10, 2015)

Ok, that makes sense! I will be on the lookout and prepared for future eggs now  I can't wait to try again haha

Thanks!!


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## Tidgy's Dad (Jul 11, 2015)

Better luck next time.


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