# Leopard eggs! So excited.



## Jodie (Aug 10, 2015)

So I am on vacation of course. My adult step daughter, Katlynn, is taking care of my tortoises. She calls in a panic last night. When she went to put the leopards in their night box, she found Scarlett nesting. Scarlett had surgery last October after I rescued her to remove broken eggs. It was believed she wouldn't produce eggs for a few years at least. When I put her and my male outside this spring, she got into his enclosure a couple of times, so they could be viable.
Anyway, Katlynn hooked her up with a heat source, and she laid 7 egss about midnight. I told her to leave them in the ground. I will get a box set up for them to go in the incubator when I get home. She took some pictures for me. Really sad to have missed it.


----------



## Careym13 (Aug 10, 2015)

That is so cool and exciting!


----------



## gingerbee (Aug 10, 2015)

Wow!!! Congratulations!!


----------



## clintdowns (Aug 10, 2015)

Isnt the incubating process for leopard eggs a little bit different than just regular incubating.


----------



## Jodie (Aug 10, 2015)

clintdowns said:


> Isnt the incubating process for leopard eggs a little bit different than just regular incubating.


I am guessing you are talking about diappause. The SA leopards often require this. Regular leopards, from what I have read, do not. I think some atleast reccomend it and better hatch rates are achieved. I am leaving them in the ground for a week or so, but not sure it is needed.


----------



## leigti (Aug 10, 2015)

It figures she would wait till you're out of town. Do they lay more than one nest? Could there be more eggs out there? I hope their fertile. Congratulations!


----------



## Jodie (Aug 10, 2015)

She could lay again. I don't think she has laid before. She seems to always dig in the evening. If all of my eggs hatched I would have 28 tortoises. My husband thinks that's too many lol.


----------



## wellington (Aug 10, 2015)

Jodie said:


> I am guessing you are talking about diappause. The SA leopards often require this. Regular leopards, from what I have read, do not. I think some atleast reccomend it and better hatch rates are achieved. I am leaving them in the ground for a week or so, but not sure it is needed.


My leopard just laid 6 eggs on the 5th. No diapause is needed, at least the expert advice I had gotten didn't say I had to. He also said leaving them in the ground until you get the incubator set up and running appropriately is best, now, with that said, I dug mine up right away. Then I covered the hole, to double check the next morning. The next morning, the skunk we had in the yard while my leopard was laying, had come back and dug up the hole. Luckily I didn't leave them in it. so if there is a chance of a skunk, coon, fox or any other critters you might have in your area coming into your yard, I would get them up. They can smell the eggs from quite a distance. Good luck.


----------



## Jodie (Aug 10, 2015)

Good to know. No predators that I am aware of. I am out of town, so no choice.


----------



## leigti (Aug 10, 2015)

Jodie said:


> She could lay again. I don't think she has laid before. She seems to always dig in the evening. If all of my eggs hatched I would have 28 tortoises. My husband thinks that's too many lol.


He's no fun


----------



## Jodie (Aug 10, 2015)

Naw he lets me have them. He just has to grumble a bit.


----------



## Tactical Tort (Aug 10, 2015)

Super cool! Stinks you missed it BUT at least there are pics! Could be worse 
Looking forward to seeing the hatchlings!


----------



## leigti (Aug 13, 2015)

Jodie said:


> Naw he lets me have them. He just has to grumble a bit.


So, did you find any more eggs when you got home?


----------



## Jodie (Aug 13, 2015)

leigti said:


> So, did you find any more eggs when you got home?


Got 7 eggs.


----------



## Merrick (Aug 13, 2015)

Congrats!! Can't wait to see them when they hatch


----------



## Tidgy's Dad (Aug 13, 2015)

Congratulations!
Now, fingers crossed for some nice hatchling photos.


----------



## mike taylor (Aug 13, 2015)

Man to bad you missed it . I watched my female sulcata for Four or five hours digging laying and back filling . The first time was cool . Now not so much . I don't breed them . I just let them do what they do . Then get the eggs and kill them . Sounds mean but don't want to add to sulcata needing a home.


----------

