# OMGâ€¦I am hyperventilating!!!! PLEASEEEEEE HELP!!!!!



## TheTortoiseWhisperer (Sep 27, 2012)

OK, I just went home for lunch, I was soooo excited because I found a store that sells cactus pads, ANYWAYYYYYY when I go outside to put Carla & Carlos to soak while I get their lunch ready I couldn't find Carla because she was under the bottom part of my son's slide AND SHE WAS DIGGING A FREAKEN HOLEEEEEEEE!!!!!!! Does this mean that she's getting ready to lay eggs??? OMG, I DO NOT KNOW how to take care of turtle eggs, I wont be able to handle 15-25 baby sulcatas with yolks hanging out of their little belly and I DO NOT OWN AN INCUBATORRRRRâ€¦..I love my torts soooooooo muchhhhhh but I don't think I'm a qualified tort Mom!!!!


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## Eweezyfosheezy (Sep 27, 2012)

Was she digging the hole with her front legs or hind legs? How big is she?


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## lvstorts (Sep 27, 2012)

Ok.....breathe deep....again....again....

First, I'm assuming we are dealing with Sulcatas because you reference 'baby sulctas.' If not, what are we dealing with? 

Is she digging with her front or back legs? If it's front, no she's not digging a nest. Back legs yes she's digging a nest. 

You say you are not ready to be a tort mom and you don't have an incubator and you generally don't know what to do.....I'm sure I'll take some heat for this suggestion: why don't you consider crushing the eggs? Sulcatas are #2 in rescues, behind water turtles, and if you are not ready to bring 15+ babies into the world and care for them, don't. 

I know a lot of people that do this because of the volume of eggs Sulcatas can produce. I don't think its cruel or barbaric (I do think it cruel if you wait for the turtle to be developing then crush them) if you do it directly after laying. 

This is a decision that will come up MANY times in a tort owners life if a pair are kept together. Time to search you soul and decide what you are confortable with for the long term.


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## Laura (Sep 27, 2012)

I think you should seperate them to save yourself!

how is she digging? and if its a den.. then she needs better hides, she doesnt like what she has...


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## dmmj (Sep 27, 2012)

If she lays, you could always natural incubate and see what happens.


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## tortadise (Sep 27, 2012)

Your here on the forum. More than qualified to hatch some eggs. Dont be afraid of something beautidul in nature. Last I recall your size torts she could bare eggs. However if she is digging with her front legs as others stated its not an egg laying hole.


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## TheTortoiseWhisperer (Sep 27, 2012)

I REALLYYYYYY want to go home right now!!! I didn't pay attention to details so I have no idea if she's digging with her front or back legs all I saw was a big freshly dug out hole!!!!


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## wellington (Sep 27, 2012)

If you really have a Carla and a Carlos and you don't want babies, then I think you should separate them. Keep us updated on if she is digging with front or back legs.


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## TheTortoiseWhisperer (Sep 27, 2012)

Wellington, they are separated but from what I'm told the females hold on to the males semen for years, right?? 


Eeewwwww


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## wellington (Sep 27, 2012)

TheTortoiseWhisperer said:


> Wellington, they are separated but from what I'm told the females hold on to the males semen for years, right??
> 
> 
> Eeewwwww



Sorry, I did forget. I knew you had them separated. Oh, yes they sure can hold it. So, when do you get home so we can know, front or back legs doing the work


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## Eweezyfosheezy (Sep 27, 2012)

Sulcatas do not hold onto sperm for years, likely only a few months from what I have heard.


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## ALDABRAMAN (Sep 27, 2012)

tortadise said:


> *Your here on the forum. More than qualified to hatch some eggs.* Dont be afraid of something beautidul in nature. Last I recall your size torts she could bare eggs. However if she is digging with her front legs as others stated its not an egg laying hole.


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## TheTortoiseWhisperer (Sep 27, 2012)

Eweezy, they hold on to it for SEVEN years according to what I've read about them


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## wellington (Sep 27, 2012)

Eweezyfosheezy said:


> Sulcatas do not hold onto sperm for years, likely only a few months from what I have heard.



Yes, it isn't as long as other species. Also, tortoises can lay eggs just because. They don't have to have been with a male to lay eggs. They do have to have been with a male for the eggs to be fertile.


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## Q'sTortie (Sep 27, 2012)

BREATH BREATH!!! It is very exciting news! A chance to experience a beautiful part of nature! keep us update and take pictures!


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## turtlelady80 (Sep 28, 2012)

What you need to look for is if it looks more like a large hole in the ground or a"nest" (a hole with a cavity). The reason why I say this is because my female sulcata dug with her front legs first to dig out a nice hole and then turned and dug with her back legs to create the nest cavity then laid. So Sulcatas can dig with their front first then turn and use the hind legs. If she was digging a burrow it might be because she needed more shade, she got hot, to cool off etc. If she was digging a nest or test hole, well she won't stop until she finds the perfect nesting sight and she will drop eggs. You will soon find out. Keep us updated. And if you decide that you don't want to discard the eggs, everybody on here can help you through it. Just pay close attention from now on and let us know what she is doing.


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## Masin (Sep 28, 2012)

Sounds like a nice shady burrow, hopefully that's all it is!


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## Maggie Cummings (Sep 28, 2012)

It sounds to me like they need to be separated permanently and those eggs (if there are eggs) need to be squashed . There are too many homeless Sulcata now, don't add to the problem...


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## shellysmom (Sep 28, 2012)

I get the feeling you don't have the intention to let babies be born, and I would encourage you to maintain that position. If you are considering letting eggs hatch if they are laid, please read the following article first. It's from about 3 years ago, and IMO, things have only gotten worse since then. All the sulcatas sold during the pet boom have grown larger than manageable size for most people, and are now being dumped left and right. 

http://www.tortoise.com/id47.html


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## murdocjunior (Dec 13, 2012)

so any updates did she lay afterall?


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