T0rts
New Member
My leopard tortoise has been laying eggs with no problem until recently.
Normally she lays 4 clutches (sep-dec), between 9-14 eggs, like clockwork, every 4 weeks (almost to the day).
This year, she's laid from July to Jan. Again like clockwork (but for some reason she started earlier this year & had far more clutches)... Same size clutches as previous years.
She last laid Feb 4th 9 eggs. Then Feb 9th (after being aggitated/marching about since laying on 4th), she dug a nest (& covered it over) - very odd so soon after laying but I assumed maybe she had retained a couple of eggs from laying a few days before... But when I dug up the nest there were no eggs.
She settled down for a day or two, then started pacing/becoming agitated again. She dug another phantom nest (covered over & no eggs again) yesterday 16th Feb.
My theories are:
1) she could be egg bound & maybe couldn't pass a large egg from the last time she laid
2) could be left over hormones from a previous lay
3) Or ovulating?? (My vet told me a few years ago that when they ovulate they sometimes become agitated?)
4) she doesn't have an off switch & is turning into an egg laying machine... Surely this can't be good for her??
5) coming to end of egg laying phase of her life & hormones/egg laying affected? No idea what age they lay eggs until? (She's only 17 but guess it could be any age they stop laying eggs?)
Has anyone experienced this before? Which of my theories are relevant/most likely? Is there anything else that could cause this?
I know the only way to be absolutely sure if there are eggs is via an x-ray but would love to hear from anyone who may have experienced this before & what could be happening with her!
Thank-you
Normally she lays 4 clutches (sep-dec), between 9-14 eggs, like clockwork, every 4 weeks (almost to the day).
This year, she's laid from July to Jan. Again like clockwork (but for some reason she started earlier this year & had far more clutches)... Same size clutches as previous years.
She last laid Feb 4th 9 eggs. Then Feb 9th (after being aggitated/marching about since laying on 4th), she dug a nest (& covered it over) - very odd so soon after laying but I assumed maybe she had retained a couple of eggs from laying a few days before... But when I dug up the nest there were no eggs.
She settled down for a day or two, then started pacing/becoming agitated again. She dug another phantom nest (covered over & no eggs again) yesterday 16th Feb.
My theories are:
1) she could be egg bound & maybe couldn't pass a large egg from the last time she laid
2) could be left over hormones from a previous lay
3) Or ovulating?? (My vet told me a few years ago that when they ovulate they sometimes become agitated?)
4) she doesn't have an off switch & is turning into an egg laying machine... Surely this can't be good for her??
5) coming to end of egg laying phase of her life & hormones/egg laying affected? No idea what age they lay eggs until? (She's only 17 but guess it could be any age they stop laying eggs?)
Has anyone experienced this before? Which of my theories are relevant/most likely? Is there anything else that could cause this?
I know the only way to be absolutely sure if there are eggs is via an x-ray but would love to hear from anyone who may have experienced this before & what could be happening with her!
Thank-you