RE: Finally eggs!
Well, after 13 days of nesting almost every evening Lyra decided to hell with the digging the hole in the tortoise table crap and laid 3 eggs right next to the food dish in the aspen. I didn't even notice what was going on when I walked in to give them their evening meal. She...
Well, I got Lyra started nesting in the box. She isn't being very picky as I walked in the shed to check on everyone and she was half perched in/on the food bowl and straining her legs and peeing into the substrate next to it. I picked her up and put her in the box and she started digging away...
Lyra now has a "nesting box." I purchased a large, deep dish washing tub and packed the thing with almost 24 qts of soil. I placed it in the corner of the table where she first tried to nest. Topped it off with aspen bedding and poured a mountain of bedding all around it so she can climb on and...
Bad news. Just checked on the eggs and lost #2 last night. It cracked open and leaked yolk all over. I opened it up and it was not fertile. I don't have much hope for #1 now.
On another note Lyra started nesting again yesterday evening in the table. She peed and "excavated" for hours but...
They are pretty smart and know where their safety/heat/hide can be found. but If he's under 4" he probably will be content to just remain inside and you won't have to worry. The bigger mine have gotten the more they seem to want to choose where they want to be. Sulcata's are also very hardy...
When I tried to contain my 5 Sulcata's inside the tort shed they were miserable and so was I! My largest one would pace the walls and be a PITA to the others. The day I opened the tort door to the enclosure they all seemed to settle down. Some will walk outside when it's 35 degrees to bask in...
For duribility you may want to consider adding 1/8" hardboard or tempered masonite over the reflective insulation or your going to be re-doing the inside of the box each season.
My Sulcata's still use the fake hollow rocks during the summer months. I have 2 different sizes in my enclosures...
It's been 3 weeks. Looks like they have chalked but no real specific banding. You can see the darker yolk when candled but I don't see any developement yet.
Misty in NM
Thanks Yvonne!
At this time I have 5 Sulcata's 1 Leopard and 7 Star's. I'm amazed Lyra produced eggs so quickly. I bought her and Orion when they were 4.5" a year and a half ago. She is now just under 7" and 880 grams as of 8/10/08.
Attaching egg picture and one of the rest of the Star's...
Lyra laid 2 eggs then for the next several hours it seemed like she was trying to lay more. At 11:00pm I checked on her again and she had come out of her trance and moved away from the nest without laying anymore eggs or closing the nest up. I cleaned the mud off her and offered fresh food. She...
Lyra is finally digging her nest outside in an enclosure. I'll post pictures as soon as I can. Need to get a heat lamp set up over her as it is going to get cool tonight and get that incubator set up. This is sooo cool!
Misty