# debating session!!! (hatching RES eggs)



## disdatdude22 (Apr 22, 2013)

which is the best answer??? Should i leave red ear slider eggs in cold sand that barely gets any sun or should i buy an incubator and put them in there?


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## wellington (Apr 22, 2013)

*RE: debating session!!!*

I don't have any knowledge of hatching eggs. However, my guess and what I would do if it were me, is to put them in an incubator where they would have the best chance of surviving.


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## Millerlite (Apr 22, 2013)

*debating session!!!*

Do we really need more res hatchlings? I would leave them, or if you wanna try incubating eggs then only a few. Res are already having problems looking for homes. Just my opinion


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## ascott (Apr 22, 2013)

*RE: debating session!!!*



> I would leave them



If this is where the female placed them.... I too would let nature takes its course ....


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## tortadise (Apr 22, 2013)

*RE: debating session!!!*

Direct sun will certainly ruin the eggs. Are these turtles native to the area? If so in the ground/sand is best.


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## Yvonne G (Apr 23, 2013)

*RE: debating session!!!*

You've asked for opinions, and this is a debate, so here's mine:

I would separate the males from the females. If I was able to find any nests, I would chop up the eggs with a shovel before they have a chance to start to develop.

I have operated a turtle and tortoise rescue for about 20, 25 years. The main thing that came through here up until 2010 (when I stopped accepting them) was red ear sliders. It got so hard to find good, safe homes for them that I had to stop taking them.

Red ear slider (Chrysemys scripta) is an invasive species here in California that is taking over the home range of our only native turtle. People buy them as tiny little quarter-sized cutie pies and when the turtle grows too big for its 10 gallon tank, or when the people get fed up with how much trouble it is to keep their water clean, they just toss them into the canal or ponding basin or river.

After seeing what trouble they cause, I would never condone deliberately hatching out any more eggs.


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## Jacqui (Apr 23, 2013)

I guess my first question would be... are you wanting to breed your RES? If your not, then either leave them or break them up (that would be a personal judgement call for you to make). If you do not plan on breeding them, then certainly just keep one sex or the other, so you won't have as much of a worry over eggs in the future. You will still have the chance of some from stored sperm or just females having unfertilized eggs but won't be as many or as often).

If you want to breed them, then that too I can understand. Or perhaps, if you really love the species, you might want to breed one of the unique color pattern types. If your in an area where they can survive in the wild, then chances are good with just leaving the eggs where laid. Otherwise, I would not go for the big incubator, but more perhaps the shoe box type of keeping them so they are warm and damp enough.

For me personally, I just take in the large adult females that rescues get so many of once they are no longer small and cute, but more plain and certainly big, with large water habitat needs. I don't take in any males. I just took in three large females this winter. Recently they laid eggs, I do have one lone egg sitting in a box from them. The rest of the eggs I ignored until they got broken. I have no idea if they are fertile. I did not want eggs, but also do not want the females to hold the eggs inside them (causing future health issues for the females), so I made them a shallow laying area. Once outside, if they lay eggs I will let nature take it's course. Then again, I am lucky in that I still have several enclosures with pools, where I could house additional turtles if I need to. If your eggs hatch, do you have plans for them?


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## Steve_McQueen (Apr 25, 2013)

If they're non-native, I'd dig them up and abort them. If they are native, I'd still probably abort. The planet has too many RES already. I'd never want to intentionally breed RES, with all of the turtles out there that still need good homes. If you just want them as pets then go to a rescue and adopt.


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## Terry Allan Hall (Apr 27, 2013)

*RE: debating session!!!*



ascott said:


> > I would leave them
> 
> 
> 
> If this is where the female placed them.... I too would let nature takes its course ....



This...


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## Cowboy_Ken (Apr 27, 2013)

Yvonne G said:


> You've asked for opinions, and this is a debate, so here's mine:
> 
> I would separate the males from the females. If I was able to find any nests, I would chop up the eggs with a shovel before they have a chance to start to develop.
> 
> ...



I fully agree with Yvonne on this one. I'm in Oregon, and we face a bleak outlook for our western pond turtle, partly from res and competition and partly do to predation from bullfrogs also released into the wilds. RES are found on every continent with the exception being Antarctica. Very industrious little buggers.


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## Mgridgaway (Apr 29, 2013)

What everyone else said. I would strongly consider destroying the eggs. We have enough RES's to go around.


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## Terry Allan Hall (Apr 29, 2013)

Here's a thought, if you've an adventuresome palate: Turtle eggs are considered a delicasy in many parts of the world and are considered an aphrodisiac.


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## Cowboy_Ken (Apr 30, 2013)

Terry Allan Hall said:


> Here's a thought, if you've an adventuresome palate: Turtle eggs are considered a delicasy in many parts of the world and are considered an aphrodisiac.



If someone needs to eat turtle eggs as an aphrodisiac, they have bigger issues than extra RES eggs!!! Just sayingâ€¦LOL.


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## mike taylor (Apr 30, 2013)

I would not keep them we have tooooo many.


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## Terry Allan Hall (Apr 30, 2013)

Cowboy_Ken said:


> Terry Allan Hall said:
> 
> 
> > Here's a thought, if you've an adventuresome palate: Turtle eggs are considered a delicasy in many parts of the world and are considered an aphrodisiac.
> ...



Nature's Viagra!


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## Jacqui (Apr 30, 2013)

I actually find this thread interesting, especially in light this is the same advise most other places would be giving folks who have sulcatas having eggs.... just saying.


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## Terry Allan Hall (Apr 30, 2013)

Jacqui said:


> I actually find this thread interesting, especially in light this is the same advise most other places would be giving folks who have sulcatas having eggs.... just saying.



There are, indeed, parallels...


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